Tragedy to Blessing: Qrow x Winter
by kannawritesoneshots
Summary: Previously this said that these were connected oneshots. It has actually turned more into a story with chapters. After Volume 4, among all the other things Qrow and Winter have to deal with they now have to face their newly blooming feelings for one another. Rivalry turns into friendship and friendship to... something more?
1. A Memory of the Past

The early morning was Winter Schnee's favorite time to be up. She liked climbing out of bed into the white silence of dawn and making herself a warm cup of tea to sit down with while she read another chapter or two of her current favorite book. Sometimes she would wake early enough to watch the sunrise from her windows that overlooked the military base her apartment was a part of. The sun's rays cast brilliant colors into the clouds. The colors of the sunrise always awed her. She thought that perhaps someday if she had children, she would have to name at least one of them after one of the colors she loved to see in the morning sky.

Unfortunately, Winter's morning routine was interrupted on a clear, Sunday at the break of dawn. Just as she was brewing her tea and glancing out her big windows towards the east, there was a rough knock on her door and Winter was forced to turn her attention away from her favorite activities. She contemplated ignoring the sound. Maybe the person knocking would go away. However, this was a military establishment, and it could be anyone coming with a message from Ironwood about a request for her presence, or something else nearly equally important that needed her attention. Most times, when her door was knocked on around dawn, it was pretty imperative for her to answer. So, Winter stood and made her way to the little front door of her apartment and swung it open to reveal a face she never thought she'd see there.

"Qrow?!" The tall man was a mess, but when was he ever not? His dark hair was disheveled, his clothes were torn and dirty. His face was scratched up, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked sick. Despite all this, Winter immediately became defensive. "How did you get in here?! Only approved individuals and military personnel are allowed through!"

"Winter…" Qrow's voice was weak, though still that familiar rough timbre. Despite every annoying thing he put her through, that familiar, rough voice was enough to calm her a little.

"What are you doing here anyways? What could you possibly want?"

"Winter…" Qrow managed to choke out another word and that's when Winter knew something was off.

"What? No snide retort? You're losing your touch, old man."

He stumbled a little and Winter instinctively reached out to steady his shoulder. Something was wrong. "You're the only person I could think of to come to." That's when she noticed the blood seeping between Qrow's fingers at his side. She gritted her teeth, still angry at him somehow managing to bypass security, but when she saw the blood soaking his white coat worry gripped her heart and she maneuvered him into her apartment quickly.

"There was no one… else in the area…"

"Qrow, stop talking." Winter led him over to her sofa, wincing a little when she realized it was white, and he was absolutely covered in dust and grime, but the thought vanished quickly when she saw the pain in his red eyes. Something had gotten him good. She reached for her scroll,

"You idiot, we've got to call the-"

"No, don't!" Qrow grasped her hand in his free one. He was cold as ice. "It's… it's the…"

"Qrow, if you don't stop talking," Winter hissed, "I will gag you." A smile flickered across his lips for half a second, but he decided against saying something in return and just nodded quickly, leaning back against the sofa with a hiss.

"If you won't let me call someone…" She hadn't done first aid on anyone except herself in a long time, but she pulled out the little metal box from one of her cupboards and rushed over to his side again. For once he remained silent, besides the hissing of his breath and a few groans of pain. Winter pulled her bangs back and pinned them out of her eyes before getting to work, kneeling on the floor beside him and leaning forward to gently unbutton his coat with shaking hands. She cursed her involuntary show of worry for him, Qrow didn't need any more gloating material. She barely trusted herself with this. She wasn't a nurse or a doctor. She'd only ever had basic medical training after joining the army. Just enough to patch something up, but not enough to know when the huntsman would be on his feet again, or if he was in danger of infection.

"We really ought to call someone for help." She said, gently pulling his coat aside to reveal a black shirt soaked in blood.

"Ice Qu-Queen…" He reached out and gently took her shaking hand in his, "I trust you. Not them." She bit her lip, the warmth of his hand turned her cheeks a bright red, but she gently pulled away.

"We have to get your coat and shirt off so I can get a better look at this. Here, I'll help you sit up…"

Qrow shook his head and gritting his teeth he pulled himself up into a sitting positing, huffing through the pain.

"You stubborn…" Winter sighed and stood to help him peel off his coat and his shirt. She tossed them aside and then resumed her work at Qrow's side. The man had slumped back against the couch again, and Winter finally got a good look at his injury. It was a long and deep gash, going down from his ribs towards his pelvis. It was still oozing blood, and Winter felt sick. She had been so slow, and if she was too slow…

"I have to move quickly… You can't lose any more blood."

"Sounds like you… might actually be starting to…" he coughed a little and Winter rolled her eyes.

"What did I say about a gag?" She snapped. She quickly pulled out some clean rags, pressing them against his side. "You're going to kill yourself one of these days, Branwen." Qrow let out a hoarse chuckle but didn't say anything, much to Winter's relief. She managed to slow the bleeding after a few moments of pressure, enough so that she could begin stitching up the large gash.

"You're going to be off the field for some time with a wound this deep."

"That's preposterous…"

"Qrow, I wasn't kidding about that gag, you need to stay still."

"I have… I have to get back…"

"Qrow, shut up." Winter tied off the last stitch and carefully snipped the thread. "This should be good, for now." She carefully folded a bandage over the wound and used medical tape to keep it in place. "You should be fine, but you'll need to have that bandaged changed every day, and you'll probably want someone with better knowledge of this sort of thing looking at it."

"I wouldn't have asked anyone else." Qrow smiled and Winter sighed, leaning against the coffee table behind her. She rested her hands on her knees, but they were still visibly shaking. She was surprised she had managed to stitch him up with her fingers like this. "Are you… alright?" She didn't answer, she just took in a deep breath, and then bit her lip. She was really worried for him. If he left now, he could get seriously hurt. He could rip those stitches so easily… "Hey, Schnee…" Qrow reached out and gently rested his hand on one of hers. "Thanks." The corners of her lips lifted into a small smile.

"You're an idiot, Branwen. If I had been with you, half of this wouldn't have happened."

"Are you suggesting that we… would work better together?" He winked, his hand still on hers. Winter didn't mind his warmth. She had always admired the older man and his ridiculously stubborn spirit. It was just too easy to fight with him.

"I'm suggesting that you get some sleep before I change my mind and kick you out." But Qrow's red eyes weren't focused on her blue ones anymore. He was looking out the window in front of them.

"Sky's putting on quite the display." He said with a sigh. "Almost as pretty as you." The words made her pull her hand from his. What had been there moments ago, was suddenly closed off to both of them. Qrow frowned, and leaned back against the sofa, pressing his hand to his side again. "Sorry… heh…it's probably just the blood loss."

"If….well…" Winter cleared her throat, "If that keeps happening you might need a transfusion and…"

"I'll let you know, Schnee." Qrow shrugged, "If I have any more weird _symptoms_." Winter didn't respond, she looked out to the brilliant reds and pinks of the sunrise and bit her lip again. There had been something there, something… Even for just a split second, there _was_ something more.


	2. Dance- Me and You

Present Day:

The dance was just kicking off. Winter had only been convinced to come because of Ironwood, her superior. It was their duty to continue to protect civilians through this hard time, especially after everything that had happened in Vale. These big events at Haven Academy could easily be a target, similar to the Vytal Festival at Beacon. She and Ironwood were trying their hardest to keep the rest of the Kingdoms safe from the White Fang and whatever other powers were out there that had been part of the attack in Vale. Under the circumstances, the two of them were posing as chaperones for the students' dance that evening. It was a job that she wasn't particularly happy about, but it was a necessary pain to protect everyone from any threats. She had just been wandering along the edge of the dance floor, watching the teens partner up and dance through the night when she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, I suppose, considering the circumstances… it's good to see you're alive, Jimmy." Her hands balled into fists and she turned just in time to see Qrow. He was leaning against one of the pillars in the large ballroom, nonchalantly addressing the general. Ironwood calmly responded with a curt nod, and then Qrow looked up and caught Winter's gaze. He hesitated, stood slowly from his leaning position, and then left Ironwood's side and moved over towards her.

"Qrow! What…" She lowered her voice, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Resting after a nice game of shaking hands with death. I could ask you the same thing, Ice Queen."

"I'm doing my job!" Winter snapped. "What could you possibly be doing…"

"Well… It's gotten a little complicated, really. There's no easy answer." Qrow's eyes flickered over to where a young boy with dark hair and freckles sat awkwardly in a corner next to Ruby, Qrow's niece. The girl had brought the young boy some snacks, but he wasn't eating them. He looked too confused and distracted.

"Who's the boy?" Winter asked.

"Like I said, a long story." Qrow paused, looking her up and down. "It's not often I've seen you out of uniform." Winter huffed and rolled her eyes. She was wearing a modest, but slim, pale blue dress and a string of pearls, but her hair was in its usual knot at the back of her head.

"I'm a chaperone tonight, Branwen. We want the kids to feel relaxed…"

"Chaperones never did that for me," Qrow chuckled, "Heh… though, I suppose it's better than armed soldiers. At least you're not making the same mistakes you did last time." Winter gritted her teeth.

"Was there a point at all to you coming to talk to me?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Qrow held out his hand. "You wanna dance?" Winter choked.

"Pardon?"

"Dance. Me and you." Qrow's lips turned up in a crooked smile.

"I would never-"

"Come on, Schnee, I actually was a pretty good dancer back in the day. And I've been told you're fond of it." It was true, Winter had always enjoyed dancing. No one had asked her that evening yet, except for a couple of very brave or very stupid teenage boys. Winter raised her hand above Qrow's,

"If you step on my feet, Qrow…"

"Relax, Ice Queen, I won't." Qrow gently took her hand, and spun her out farther onto the dance floor. "There. Better?" His free hand gently pressed against her back, and she rested hers on his shoulder. They gently swayed to the music and Winter actually smiled. He looked nice tonight, and he didn't smell heavily of alcohol like he usually did. He smelled like pine, and wood smoke, and Winter didn't mind it, or the warmth radiating from his hands, at all.

"Better." She sighed, daring to lean into him gently as they moved to the time of the music. Qrow was actually a good dancer like he promised. As the dance came to a close they held on to one another for a half a second longer than perhaps they should have. Qrow stepped away but hesitated before releasing her hand.

"I should go check on the kid…" He chuckled. Winter nodded.

"Of course." She sighed, "Who is he, Qrow?" Qrow laughed a little, and a smile spread across his face like he was keeping a big secret.

"A friend, I guess. It's a long story… But maybe we can…" He paused, he was conflicted, "…talk sometime." Qrow shrugged. "I'll see you around since we're both here at Haven."

"Right… we'll talk…" The words seemed so foreign when she was speaking to Qrow, but also right. She hoped, against her better judgment, that she _would_ see him again.

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 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _I'm so glad you liked it, and I hope you like the newer ones too! I agree. Both Winter and Qrow need someone!_

 **FuegoFox42:** _I have written a lot of fanfiction before, actually under a different account. I've never written anything for RWBY, this is my first one. Most of the other stuff I wrote was Avengers, Once Upon a Time, and Undertale- Avengers being the prominent one. I discovered after going back to school this year that I just can't write full-length novels anymore, so I started a new account with the purpose of only writing one shots. Thank you so much! I hope you like all the future ones as well._

 **Guest:** _I'm glad you like it!_

 **Raichu Pikachu:** _Thanks! I definitely plan on writing more!_

Thanks for the reviews!


	3. Bad Luck Charm Part One

It had been a strange few weeks in Mistral, that was for sure. Qrow had only begun to get used to being in the city, and in those few weeks he had avoided his niece and her friends as much as possible. No use letting his bad luck rub off on them in this new place. Besides that, Qrow was having his own problems. In his investigations within the city he was having to work a lot more with Winter Schnee than he wanted to. Schnee was the most stubborn woman he had ever met, and it was driving him crazy. He had, of course, worked with her before. But, over the past couple of weeks, they had bumped into each other more than several times. He couldn't help but admit to himself that something drew him to Winter, something… magnetic… perhaps almost electric. It terrified him. When he lay awake in his bed at night, staring into emptiness, he thought about her and wondered how often they would have to meet before his damned semblance began to hurt her. He would curse her, and roll over, trying to sleep, but he never succeeded. He couldn't get Winter Schnee out of his head.

Schnee was still posing as a chaperone for things like dances and field trips. Each time Qrow saw her at the school he had to chuckle. The woman hated her new "job" but for her superiors she did it begrudgingly. Qrow still couldn't figure out why she followed Jimmy so loyally. He, on the other hand, would do exactly what Ozpin told him to do. No more and no less. So, he stayed close enough to the school to keep an eye on things, for now. Looking back on their third week in Mistral Qrow counted the evenings, out of seven, that he had spent talking or walking with Winter. _Six._ He had spent six evenings with the young woman. He felt sick just thinking about it.

In those six days they had argued. Well… she had argued and he had really just teased her. She had a temper, that was for sure. He chuckled, thinking about it. Sometimes they would just walk in silence and Qrow remembered the dance, and somewhere deep inside of him he wished they could dance again. He had forgotten what it was like to not be lonely, and Winter despite her stubbornness, despite her loyalty to James and his values, showed Qrow what it was like to have… someone there…

Qrow had learned early in life that all good things come to an end. It was the beginning of their fourth week. He ran into Winter on the outskirts of the city. It was a cool night, and she was in full uniform, on patrol for James or something equally ludicrous. Qrow really didn't know, and he didn't really care. He nonchalantly strolled up beside her, but she pretended to ignore him.

"What's the hold up, Ice Queen? Usually you have something snide to say when I show up." He had almost been looking forward to her rolling her pretty, blue eyes, and her mocking him in some way or another.

"I'm not really in the mood today, Qrow." She said.

"Oh come on, don't be civil on my account." Qrow said, patting her on the shoulder. She stopped walking and looked up at him with a glare, but he watched her expression slowly change as she offered him a small smile.

"You're absolutely insufferable."

"I try to be," Qrow chuckled.

Winter rolled her eyes, but gently bumped him with her shoulder as the moved through the city streets. It was only moments later that they heard shouting, panicked screams. _Grimm! Grimm!_ Winter looked up at Qrow, and he gave her a curt nod before they dashed towards the sounds of distress.

It had been an Ursa Major. One of the biggest ones Qrow had ever seen. Still, Qrow knew he and Winter could take it on. He scoffed, yanking his scythe from its place at his back. Winter was already charging, weapon drawn. And then she tripped, and before she could catch herself the Ursa swept its paw out and left three huge gashes across her back, barely missing her neck.

"Winter!" Qrow gritted his teeth and forced his shaking legs to move, diving towards the Ursa to protect the wounded specialist. The beast had realized Winter wasn't finished, and sensing her worry and pain it leaned over and bit into her arm. Her scream pierced Qrow's heart, and he shouted out, slicing off the Ursa's arm and then spinning around to cut through the grimm's neck. The moment the ursa's head hit the ground and it started to dissolve Qrow found himself blindly rushing to Schnee's side. The young woman was bleeding, and unconscious, but she was alive. The emergency crew were just arriving on the scene, and Qrow was trying to replay everything that had happened in his head. What had happened to cause this? Someone on the sidelines was animatedly describing the huntsman and the specialist's brief encounter with the grimm.

"I don't know what happened. She tripped on something. Her own feet maybe. Just some really bad luck." Bad luck. Qrow released Winter's hand and slowly rose to his feet. This was his fault. This was all his fault. Winter could have taken on an Ursa all on her own. If he hadn't been here she would have been fine. It had been his semblance. He cursed himself under his breath, took one last look at Winter who was being cared for by the emergency team, and stalked off back into the city. He didn't think he could look at her again, not without remembering this. He had been so good at keeping his distance before… what changed? He looked back at the damage he left behind and shook his head, he couldn't let this happen again. Winter, beaten and bruised, and bleeding… He clenched his fists and did what he did best. He left, promising to keep his distance. He had been too close, and now someone else was paying for it. Someone he cared about.

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 **Replies to reviews:**

 **Aquaticmammals:** I love Winter and Qrow, and it is quite sad that there is a lack of art and fics, or abandonement of fics. I am guilty of that charge for other fandoms, for sure, but I hope that by sticking to one shots/short stories I won't as easily fall away from the fic like I did with the novels I wrote. Sometimes novels are just too stressful and take too much time. I hope that I can keep this up because it is quite fun!

 **Nina Vale:** Ah! I love Jane Austen! You're right, Qrowin kind of is like Pride and Prejudice... I'm glad you like it. I think Qrow and Winter deserve a break from fighting. Of course, both of them have their reservations, but two people who dislike certain things about one another can learn to appreciate each other and to get along.

 **lov3silhouett3:** Because it's summer and I'm free right now, I've been writing a whole bunch! So I have a lot of one shots already done! I'm glad you decided to read! These "oneshots" are sort of like cross between oneshots and a full story, really. They can be read separately, of course, but they *are* all connected chronologically. I'm so happy you like it! Thank you!


	4. Bad Luck Charm Part Two

**I literally have nine oneshots written already and I'm working on number 10, but I've been on a missions trip and then a small vacation. Now I'm on my way home and in a hotel with wifi, so I hope you enjoy part two of "Bad Luck Charm." I'll probably post part three when I get home tomorrow!**

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"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby's small hand gently rested on Qrow's shoulder. "I heard about the Ursa attack. You were there, weren't you?"

"The ursa? Right… yeah, I was there." Qrow shrugged, fumbling with his flask. Ruby sat down next to her uncle. They both dangled their legs off the roof of the inn Qrow was staying at. The city was lit with beautiful lights at this time of night.

"You've been acting weird," Ruby said, kicking her legs back and forth, bumping him every so often. "Ever since the ursa attack. Do you know why?" The way she said it made Qrow think that perhaps she had her own hypothesis on why. He couldn't begin to guess what she was thinking, and he wasn't really sure what she meant by weird.

"What do you mean I've been acting weird?" Qrow laughed a little.

"Just… different. You haven't talked at all, really, and… you missed meeting Yang and I for dinner last night…"

"Dinner? Oh… sorry about that, kid… I… I guess I've been a bit distracted."

"It's alright, I know you've been busy." He hadn't really been busy at all. He had felt sick to his stomach since the Ursa incident, and he had been trying to forget about it, or at least stop thinking about it. Nothing he tried worked. He had been so careless… "Is there something else?" Ruby asked. Qrow looked down at her with a chuckle,

"What do you mean?"

"Something else bothering you?"

"Bothering _me?_ " Qrow grinned, gently pushing Ruby with his shoulder. "Not on your life, kid. You know your Uncle Qrow's invincible, right? Nothin' bothers me." Ruby laughed but it was short lived.

"You might be a great fighter, Uncle Qrow, but no one's invincible. There _is_ something bothering you. Yang and I both noticed."

"You and Yang are pretty intuitive, huh?" Qrow sighed, crossing his arms and staring out at the city towards the building where he knew Winter was being cared for. "Look… it's pretty complicated. I don't think even I really understand what's going on."

"That's okay." Ruby smiled, "It's always helped me to talk to someone. I always tell Yang when… well… when I need someone to talk to. That's what family's for, right?" Qrow didn't respond, he watched as a light turned on in Winter's building. He wondered if she thought about him… She didn't know what his semblance was, but would she hate him if she did? Qrow sighed.

"It's my semblance." Ruby was quiet, something that Qrow thought, with a smile, was rather rare. "Miss Schnee and I both faced the Ursa. I'm afraid that she was… hurt because of my bad luck." He gritted his teeth, his chest was tight with anger and frustration. "I always thought that one day I'd be able to control it, but that day never came and so many people have suffered because of it. I should have learned my lesson, and at first it would have been easy to stay away, but now… heh…" He gripped his flask until his knuckles turned white. "I guess it was nice to be with someone for a change, instead of on my own." Before Qrow could say anything else Ruby flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"You're never alone, Uncle Qrow!" She cried, squeezing him as tightly as she could. "You'll always have me and Yang and Dad!"

"I know." He tried to smile. "But… You know I always try to keep away. For some reason, this week, with Winter… I let that go and now look what's happened. She tripped, Ruby. And she shouldn't have. Bad luck."

"But have you talked to her at all?" Ruby asked, "Does she know…?"

"No." Qrow murmured, looking back out at the city. "It doesn't matter, I can't see her anymore. It could get worse."

"Or maybe it won't." Ruby shrugged. "You should see her one last time, at least tell her why. You're friends aren't you?" Friends? Qrow never would have used that word to describe his and Winter's relationship, however, now that he thought about it maybe Ruby was right. He and Winter were, sort of, friends. She deserved at least an explanation, just like Ruby and her friends had when he had shown up so unexpectedly. "Just think about it, Uncle Qrow. And when you get back from visiting maybe we can get something to eat. We could invite everyone else to come too. I bet they'd like that."

"Sure, kiddo." Qrow watched his niece move back inside the building, and then he laid back against the roof and stared up at the sky. Maybe Ruby was right, and he should go see Winter one last time. The thought of facing her made him feel sick, but he couldn't let that get in the way of this… she deserved an explanation.

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews:**

 **NinaVale-** _Seriously, Qrow really just needs someone there who he can trust. Someone he greatly cares about and who greatly cares for him in return. Perhaps Winter's that person... ;) Guess you'll find out how things go when I post the next part tomorrow or the day after!_

 **Thanks to all who have reviewed, and thanks to all readers!**


	5. Bad Luck Charm Part Three

Winter's sister was standing just outside of Winter's room, as if she was the specialist's own personal guard. When she saw Qrow approaching her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms.

"Oh. It's _you."_ She rolled her eyes. " _Finally._ Did you know that my sister has been asking after you since she woke up? Didn't you get any of the messages?"

"I…"

"Well, better late than never I suppose. She'll be glad to see you're alright." Weiss Schnee narrowed her eyes pointing up at him, "But I really don't care for you, so you better watch it." Qrow nodded slowly, his hands were clenched but he still couldn't stop them from shaking. Weiss gestured to the door and stepped aside for him to pass. Qrow almost smiled. She was just like her sister.

Qrow quietly slipped into Winter's room. It was rather plain, with cream colored walls and silver curtains. Her bed spread was a light blue, and on her bedside stand was a vase of wild flowers. Beside them was a small painting of her family. Winter looked weak lying in bed like she was. She wore a little white tank top and her injured arm was tied up in a cast. Her hair was down, something Qrow had never seen before. Her lips and cheeks were so pale, but when she saw Qrow she smiled.

"You're here." He didn't respond, guilt tugging at his heart. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I didn't think you'd be able to take on that Ursa by yourself." Qrow chuckled,

"Sounds to me like you're doing just fine."

"Did you ever doubt me?"

"Never." Qrow sighed. Winter slowly pushed herself up into sitting position. She grimaced but didn't make a sound.

"Why did you leave so quickly, Branwen?" She whispered, "I woke not too long after and when I saw you weren't there I was worried something happened."

"Winter Schnee? Worried for me, Qrow Branwen? Did you hit your head or something, Ice Queen?" Qrow watched as Winter's cheeks lit up bright red.

"Don't be ridiculous! It's completely natural for one to… fear the outcome of a… comrade's struggle." She brushed a long strand of her pale hair behind her ear, her cheeks still pink.

"Winter, I… have to tell you something." Qrow finally managed to spit it out. Winter immediately noticed the change of tone and nodded, patting the side of her bed.

"Sit down. We can talk." Qrow hesitated and then followed her instructions. "What is it?"

"I came here to say… goodbye."

"Wh…what do you mean?" Winter's blue eyes filled with concern, Qrow looked away.

"I can't stay around here anymore. I'm causing too many problems. The whole Ursa thing, Schnee… that was me. You tripping. That was me. If I stick around things will only get worse."

"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

"My semblance," Qrow sighed. "My semblance, Winter, is bad luck."

"What?"

"I don't know how to explain it… it's just… every time I get too close to someone I only cause them harm. Most of the time it's just little things, like stupid ornaments falling over, or spilling a glass of water. But sometimes… sometimes a little trip can cause a lot of damage."

"You mean your semblance actually is about luck?"

"I can't control it, god knows I've tried. Look, Winter, I… I liked our walks, and the way we talk to each other. I liked being around you. It's been a long time since I've had the courage to not be alone, and it was… a pretty good feeling. But I can't hang around here anymore. It'll only bring you more catastrophe."

"Wait. Qrow!" Winter reached out with her good hand and gripped Qrow's shoulder. "You don't think you did this, do you?"

"Of course I did. I'm cursed, Ice Queen. It just rubs off on the people I care about."

"Me tripping wasn't you, you dunce." Winter gasped, and then she sighed. "It's the heels. Sometimes that happens on cobblestone!"

"Winter! I know about these things, alright? I've seen my fair share of misfortunes, and this wasn't one that would have happened if I wasn't there. You've been walking on this cobblestone for weeks. This is my fault. I'll just leave the city. I've got work I can do out on the road…"

"You're not bad luck, Qrow." Winter's eyes had turned ice cold. "This isn't your fault. Don't you see?" She pressed her cool hand against his cheek with an encouraging smile, "If you hadn't been there that Ursa would have killed me! You're not bad luck. You saved my life." His eyes met hers and he couldn't look away.

"You really believe that?"

"I know it." She grinned, "Sometimes I just wonder how in the world you survived without me so long."

"You know, despite the fact that you're a stuck up rich girl, I'm glad you're alright." Winter laughed.

"Is that _really_ what you think of me?" Qrow shrugged.

"Maybe."

"So, you're not going to leave then?" Winter gently grasped his shoulder. Qrow sighed.

"No. You've convinced me for now, Ice Queen."

"I'm glad I've managed to become such an influence." Winter gently patted his shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow then, because it's really so boring being cooped up in here like this."

"Winter, I… I might not be leaving but I don't think that's a good idea."

"Qrow, I'm not afraid of your stupid bad luck," She huffed. "I can take care of myself. If you're not here tomorrow afternoon I'll be sorely disappointed in you."

"Heh… I'll think about it."

"You better."

"Oh. By the way, I think I heard Jimmy saying something about coming to visit you tomorrow morning. Just warning you. Maybe then you can pretend you're asleep and he'll leave you alone."

Winter rolled her eyes. "You always were a glutton for punishment, Branwen."

"Hey, I'm just issuing fair warning here."

"Get out," Winter glared, "So I can get some sleep." Qrow grinned at her attempts at hiding her smile.

"As you wish."

"Dumbass." She muttered, her lips involuntarily turning up.

"Sweet dreams, Ice Queen."

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 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Amelia:** _Yes, Qrow really does have a tendency to blame himself. I hope you liked this chapter!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Yeah, I've always had the sense that Ruby's more emotionally smart than people think she is. In some ways she's a little naive, but I think that's mostly because she's an extremely positive person. She's always trying to find the bright side. I agree with you, I think there's definitely more to Qrow's semblance than he thinks there is. It's also likely that a lot of the stuff Qrow blames on himself is just... nothing. Just things that happen. Winter tripping? That could have happened even if Qrow hadn't been there, like she explains in this chapter. He's gotten to the point where he blames himself too much for the bad things that happen around him and I do believe that Winter might be able to right his thinking. Or at least, give him a new perspective._

 **Thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews!**


	6. Defense and Grimm Studies

**Alright, I know I said that these were all oneshots but apparently I can't write oneshots. It's all too connected. So I may as well embrace the story that this actually sort of is. *sigh* I honestly don't know what I'm doing anymore. All I know is I really, really ship Qrowin.**

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It wasn't long before Winter was feeling more-or-less back to her older self, despite still having healing wounds and an arm in a sling. She got back to work at Haven Academy, applying for a position as an assistant teacher. Qrow didn't come around quite as much as he had before, but he showed up sometimes and most of the time when he did it was usually very unexpected. Most of the time he and Winter found ways to get along, but there were times when they had their usual arguments, which sometimes turned into full on sparring.

Winter appreciated her time at Haven, and though she had originally thought she would hate it, she really enjoyed teaching… or assistant teaching anyways. She started as an assistant teacher to the history teacher, however, after a meeting with the headmaster, she was transferred to assistant teacher of the new Defense and Grimm Studies teacher. The older teacher had retired last semester and they hadn't been able to find a replacement until now. Winter had thought about applying for the position herself, since she figured she knew a lot about defense and Grimm, but she didn't have any teaching experience. So an assistant teacher would have to do, and she was rather excited to meet the new teacher. It was early Monday morning when the first class shuffled in to find only Winter waiting for them. Their new teacher was running late.

"It's their first day, they must be lost," Winter smiled. She wished she had planned for this. She would have had some introduction planned for the students. But before she could think about it much longer the door burst open.

"Hey, kids. Schnee." Winter choked on the coffee she was sipping.

"Q-qrow?!"

"Now, now. First names are unprofessional in this setting, Ms. Schnee! 'Morning, everyone. I am Professor Branwen…" He paused. "I apologize for being late, the class is just ridiculously early in the morning. When I was teaching at Signal we never had 8 o'clock classes."

"That is completely false," Winter huffed.

"No, that's not right… we did. I don't think I ever taught any, though." Qrow frowned and then shrugged, "Oh well! On to…umm… What's this class called again?" Qrow looked over at Winter expectantly. _Is he completely incompetent?!_

"Defense and Grimm Studies!" Winter spluttered, crossing her arms impatiently. "You don't even know the name of your own class-!?"

"Ms. Schnee. That's no way to talk to your superior. I was just _testing_ you."

"WHA-! Superior?! How dare-!"

"Right, kids, so! On to Defense and Grimm Studies. As you know now, I am Professor Branwen and this is my assistant teacher, Ms. Schnee. I don't know… any of you? I don't think…" Qrow squinted up at the twenty-some students in his class. "But I might be able to learn some of your names by the end of the semester. Honestly, I'm not good with names. Some of you might be assigned nicknames… probably. For this class-!"

"Shouldn't you take attendance, _professor?_ " Winter narrowed her eyes. Qrow smirked.

"Attendance? Of course. Ms. Schnee is always so organized and _proper._ Fine. You can take attendance. I don't have a list or anything."

"You don't. Have a list." Winter glared.

"Nope."

"Are you…. _Completely, POSITIVELY_ -!"

"Ms. Schnee. Professionalism." Winter clenched her fists, her arms were shaking with anger. But she bit her tongue and slowly turned to the students.

"Fine. We'll just have you all… say your names and I'll write them down." She pulled out a pen and notebook as the students began listing off their names, row after row. Qrow gave a brief, and (Winter hated to admit) rather good, introduction to the subject of the class and then dismissed his students early. First days were usually rather easy. The moment the last student filed out of the room after everyone was done asking questions, Winter stood from where she sat and slammed her hands down on Qrow's desk where he had been resting his boots for the past half-hour.

"Are you _INSANE?!_ Last time we had a discussion I thought perhaps you had changed, but NO! You're still the most insufferable… illogical… annoying man in the world!"

"I'm sorry, was there something you wanted to ask me about the course?" Qrow grinned.

"What? No! I want you to for once in your life act like an adult!"

"Is it about my teaching style?" Winter instantly recognized the change in Qrow's eyes, from teasing to serious and she bit her lip and crossed her arms, trying to compose herself.

"You came in late because it was 'too early', you purposely weren't planning on taking attendance, you gave half the kids in the class ridiculous nicknames…"

"Look, Winter." Winter froze. Qrow rarely called her by her first name. "They're just kids."

"Kids who need to learn the rules, just like you!" Winter gasped.

"Let me do my job, and you do yours," Qrow said with a crooked smile, "I'm actually pretty good at this, you might find. Besides, you and I both know rules were made to be broken."

"I-! I don't know that! How dare you!" Winter choked, "Since when do you think _I_ know that!" Qrow chuckled and looked back down at his teacher's guide to the textbook, just as the next class came shuffling in. "I do _not-! I would never-!"_

"Professionalism, Ms. Schnee." Qrow murmured, without even looking up. Winter gritted her teeth, but stepped aside, taking a deep breath to calm herself before the next class began.

Once again she was left to observe Qrow's introduction before lunch break. He was a very animated and sarcastic teacher. He made the students laugh. Despite being angry Winter smiled. Maybe the huntsman was right… he could be a good teacher…

When the class was dismissed and questions were done being asked Winter didn't move from where she sat. She could see Qrow putting away his papers and book out of the corner of her eye before he moved over to where she sat.

"Did you have plans for lunch?"

"Not really," she huffed, daring to look up at that infuriating smile of his.

"Did you want to go out with me?" He grinned. Winter's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks burn.

"Are you asking me-?"

"Wh-what?! I mean… I meant as co-workers!" Qrow choked. "I meant did you want to go eat… together? As friends?"

"Right. Of course… that's..." Winter paused and glared up at him again, "I'm not really in the mood."

"Oh, come on, Ice Queen." Qrow grinned, "You and I can get along, you know. And since we'll be working together it might be a good idea."

"Fine!" Winter gasped. "Yes, Professor Branwen, I would like to accompany you out to eat together!"

"Heh… see? I knew you couldn't resist!"

Winter rolled her eyes, "Maybe I should have said no. You're too full of yourself."

"I can neither confirm or deny that sentiment."

"Let's go, before you waste our lunch hour." Winter sighed.

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 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Gosh I really hope I don't either... :O In all seriousness though, I'm glad you like it. And I certainly do hope I give you the best I can until it can actually be labeled as complete!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Yeah, Winter's calm until Qrow purposely drives her insane. Which is what he apparently thinks is his job. I agree with you, they really do fit well together. He definitely sees her as a person and not just as her family name, and she sees his heart and his good intentions, despite what he thinks of himself. Your exactly right. I was just talking about this with my brothers, I honestly wonder how much of Qrow's semblance is true and how much of it is just part of the job. I don't know what route I'll go in this story. Maybe I'll just keep it sort of... up for the readers' interpretation. That seems like the best route._

 **Thanks for reading! and thanks for the reviews!**


	7. Wildflowers

Teaching with Winter Schnee wasn't so bad. She was actually a very good assistant teacher and she kept the students on track. The students all loved _him_ , of course. He always tried to make learning more interactive and fun and there were always things to be sarcastic about. Sometimes he would notice his semblance in the classroom, and he knew Winter did too. He couldn't help but be happier that they weren't on the battlefield. A broken vase or a cracked window were nothing compared to a shattered bone. Winter's injury against that ursa still haunted him. He couldn't sleep at night. When his room was dark, and veiled in shadows, he could only think about her. He saw the same thing, over and over again. The ursa's claws scraping across her back, his semblance- like a dark shadow- covering her and stealing her away from him. He couldn't close his eyes, because, for some reason, Qrow Branwen couldn't imagine Winter really being gone. The thought of it, and the thought that he had almost caused it, made him feel sick.

So, instead of sleeping, he wandered. The city was mostly quiet at night, especially with all that had happened at Beacon. Most everyone tried to stay inside after dark. So, he was alone, and happy to be. Still, something seemed empty inside of him. Something was lacking, in a way it had never been before. He wandered through the gardens of the city, past tall and elaborate fountains and flowering trees. He didn't know where his feet were taking him until he stood in front of the door leading to Winter's quarters.

"Stupid, stupid…" He muttered under his breath, turning away before he could mindlessly enter the room, but before he took another step the door opened, and there was a soft gasp of surprise.

"Qrow?" Qrow turned slowly, his red eyes meeting Winter's blue ones.

"Schnee…"

"What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing?" They were both silent for a moment before Winter gave in, looking down at her feet.

"I can't sleep. Sometimes… I have nightmares…" Qrow wanted to insist that she go back inside and try to sleep but he couldn't even think straight. He hadn't expected this at all.

"I… couldn't sleep either." He managed to spit out, and then he grinned, "So, I guess we're in the same boat, Ice Queen."

"I have a name you know." Winter stepped out into the street, softly shutting the door behind her. She was wearing simple clothes, an oversized white knitted sweater and dark gray pants, with knee-high white boots.

"I know." Qrow said, with a shrug. They started walking, almost automatically, side-by-side.

"Where are we going tonight, Branwen?"

"Tonight? Are you implying that this should become some sort of tradition?" There was a long pause before Winter answered him.

"I like walking with you, Qrow. Sometimes I catch myself almost thinking you're good company."

"Not _really_ a compliment, but I'll take it." Qrow chuckled. They were moving beyond the city now, almost mindlessly. Fields and forests were spread out before them, an eternity of endless wandering. Qrow wanted to ask her what she had nightmares about but he thought that maybe he was getting too close to her, too close to this whole situation. It felt too much like prying.

"I always loved the stars. When I was younger I would imagine I could fly…" Winter stopped walking, staring up into the endless deep blue. Qrow sighed, sitting down in the tall grass and stretching out so he could stare up at the stars. Winter looked down at him with a small laugh and slowly lowered herself to the ground with a grimace. Her arm was still in its sling, and Qrow was certain her back wasn't completely healed. Qrow sat up, gently holding out his hand and she gratefully took it.

"Are you alright?" Winter nodded, the soft pink returning to her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I suppose Weiss is right about these things not being fully healed."

"Don't apologize." Qrow gently squeezed her shoulder. "I know how it feels, being… slow and broken because of a stupid mistake." Winter looked up at him with surprise in her eyes. He realized too late that there was hate in his voice, self-hate. He gritted his teeth and lay back down to look at the stars.

"Qrow…" He interrupted her and started talking, and this time he couldn't stop himself.

"When I was younger, and I figured out that my semblance was just an enormous… bad luck charm… I used to curse the stars." Winter looked back up at the sky briefly before looking back down at him with concern. "All they represented to me was… was hope that was so far out of reach. If only I could grasp it… if only I could reach it…" He felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes and he blinked to push them away. A warm and gently hand pressed against his cheek, and Winter looked down at him from where she sat.

"Stop. There's always hope, Qrow. Always."

"How can you say that? How can we know?" He whispered.

"You and I are still breathing." Winter smiled, leaning forward and gently brushing her lips against his forehead. "We choose our own destinies." Qrow sat up with a frown,

"You're acting...disturbingly nice." Winter laughed, brushing a strand of hair away from his eyes.

"I try to be, you know? I never wanted to… fight with you. I think we might be more similar in character than either of us really can imagine. Besides, you saved my life, Qrow Branwen, doesn't that at least deserve some civility?"

"I suppose I could stand for some civility. Barely." He chuckled. "You're something else, Winter Schnee."

"I know." She stood slowly, and then grabbed his hand with her good arm, pulling him up after her. "Forget about the stars. Forget about all that stuff about them being hope and out of reach. We're more like wildflowers."

"How do you figure that one, Princess?" Winter rolled her eyes at the nickname.

"Look!" She gestured out to the fields around them where wild daisies were sprouting up everywhere. "We can take root anywhere. We're stronger than our surroundings. There's always hope because we're strong." She gently pressed her hand to his chest. "You're breathing. I'm breathing. I think that's pretty good luck, don't you?" Qrow reached out and gently touched the petals of a daisy.

"Tangible hope."

"Here." Winter laughed a little, gently weaving a daisy into Qrow's hair just above his ear. "Now you'll always have a little hope with you."

Qrow grinned, "This is embarrassing. Winter Schnee teaching _me_ important life lessons? Aren't I eleven years older than you?"

"Maybe you should start acting like it." Winter grinned, with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey. Easy now. I think I've had enough lessons for today."

"Thanks for walking with me, Branwen. I _guess_ it's better than walking alone."

"Admit it, you enjoy my company."

"Not on your life. But I do like having _someone_ to talk to, even if it's just you."

"Ouch. You really don't pull your punches, do you, Princess."

"Hey, it's queen to you, Mister." Winter laughed a little and then sighed, "I have to go now, before Weiss finds me missing. Besides, we should probably at least try and get some sleep. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll see you then, Ms. Schnee." She waved, but didn't respond as she moved back into the city. Qrow sighed, following her at a slow, ambling walk. When he got back to his room he pulled the daisy out of his hair and gently set it on his bedside stand. Hope, and Winter Schnee, in wildflowers.

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 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _Okay, I'm going to be completely honest. I haven't seen the WoR yet. I know, I knowwwww. But I have good reason! I literally JUST got introduced to RWBY... like... at the end of June. So I basically watched ALL four seasons, and ALL the RWBY Chibi in like... three weeks. And then I was like: "I'm gonna write a fanfiction..." Soooo... yeah, talk about insane. But I can imagine based on some of Qrow's storytelling in the series. Hehe. He **is** a good storyteller. And yes, Qrow is definitely adorable. This is the seventh post I've made on this story. I think I've written close to eleven or twelve. The one I'm writing right now is also really adorable. :) Can't wait to see what some of you have to say about it. Ah, they're just so cute! _

**Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews!**


	8. Teacher's Lounge

_Teacher's meeting. Teacher's lounge. Lunch Hour._ Winter stared at the message on her scroll for a moment and then slipped the device back into her pocket. She hoped the stupid meeting didn't last too long. She had promised to meet Ironwood before he left that evening on mission. She was to hold down the fort here in Mistral while he was gone. After the first two classes of the day she made her way quickly over to the large teacher's lounge to meet with the other professors and assistant teachers at Haven Academy. When she made her way into the room and found a seat at the large oval-shaped table most everyone was there. Except for Qrow, of _course._

The meeting was something about homework, or something equally boring. Qrow didn't assign much homework in his class. A lot of the studies in Defense and Grimm Studies were in-class. Despite being one to follow the rules closely, Winter decided that she hated teacher meetings. Qrow burst into the lounge fifteen minutes late, apologized (barely), and sat down in the only available seat at the table, the one directly across from Winter. Winter offered him a glare as soon as he sat down, and mouthed,

 _"_ _Late as usual."_ Qrow shrugged, tapping her boot with his under the table. Winter huffed and tried to keep her attention on the headmaster who was leading the meeting, but only moments later Qrow tapped her boot again. And then again. Winter turned her glare back on him, kicking his boot as hard as she dared without making noise. He gave her a crooked smile and slumped a little in his seat to kick her chair. She was nowhere close to being tall enough to reach his, so she kicked his leg. He pushed her leg away with his other foot, and purposely stepped on the toe of her shoe lightly.

Winter gritted her teeth. _"I will end you."_

 _"_ _Try it."_ Qrow mouthed. Winter kicked him again, hard. He began kicking her seat to the beat of some stupid song. Winter decided to try and ignore him again. The headmaster was talking about tests now, but she couldn't focus on the important parts of the discussion. Qrow was beginning to kick harder.

 _"_ _Quit it."_ She shoved his leg away with her feet and kicked his boot for good measure.

"What's your opinion on the matter, Ms. Schnee?"

"Wh-what…? _My_ opinion?" Winter glared over at Qrow and quickly kicked him.

"Oh!" Qrow choked! " _I_ have a very strong opinion of the matter! Testing shouldn't ever be the sole component of any students' grade, of course! Obviously, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in all areas of the classroom…" He winked at Winter. She rolled her eyes. When they finally made it out of the lounge he offered her his hand. She kicked his shin.

"Ow!" Then he laughed, "I guess I deserve that."

"You better believe it." She snapped. "What was that about?!" Qrow shrugged.

"Sometimes, when you're angry, your face turns all red. It's pretty adorable."

"Wh-what?!" Winter choked. "I-!"

"Sorry, Winter." Qrow shrugged, his eyes losing their teasing glint, "Sometimes I can't help it. When the opportunity arises…"

"You… are…" Winter took a deep breath, "Absolutely idiotic."

"I know." Qrow chuckled. "But it's endearing, don't you think?"

"What I think is we should probably go get set up for your next class."

"Of course. How perfectly organized of you, Ms. Schnee. I'll meet you there."

"Where do you think you're going?" Winter glared.

"Getting some coffee. You want some?"

"You-!" Winter paused and smiled, her cheeks turning red, "Yes, actually. I'd like that very much. Just two creams, and one sugar, please."

"Of course." Qrow shrugged. "I'll meet you back at class."

When he slipped into the classroom with two mugs of coffee he handed Winter the mug with painted daisies.

"Hope. Just for you, Ice Queen."

"Thank you, _Professor_."

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 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _I agree. I think Winter will be a good influence on Qrow, and by that I mean she's more positive. She'll leave an imprint. She'll make him see that he can be happy, that he's allowed to be happy. Ruby, I'm sure, does a good job of that sometimes. But you're right. Ruby's just a young girl. Qrow needs an adult who can show him that._

 **Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews!**


	9. I'll Sing for You

After school was finally out Winter decided to take a walk outside the city in the meadows. She rather enjoyed regular walks in the afternoon, and for some reason, even though she adored having quiet time, she almost enjoyed them more when Qrow tagged along like some sort of lost puppy. Most of the time they were quiet, and sometimes they talked a little about one another. Sometimes they would just walk straight home and other times they would sit under a tree or by a fountain. She like resting under the trees, leaning back in the tall grass and flowers of the meadow and watching the clouds drift by even for a little while. It was a pleasant break from the terribly stressful life of an assistant teacher… or rather, a specialist in the guise of an assistant teacher. She often wondered if Qrow felt the same.

It was a warm that afternoon and she decided to rest in the shade of a cherry blossom tree. She lay back in the tall grass and began counting the falling petals. Qrow hadn't walked with her that day, but she expected that he wouldn't be too far behind. What had happened that had changed their relationship so much over the past couple of months? All she knew was that she actually enjoyed Qrow Branwen's company… and perhaps there was something more. So long ago, at that silly dance, when he had taken her hand and they had stood so close, she had felt something. It seemed that that something had only grown stronger. When she was near him she felt… different. Not safer, but maybe warmer and stronger. She had never felt that way about anyone before. It was so strange.

As she suspected, she wasn't left to her own thoughts for very long. Qrow joined her under the cherry tree, resting against the trunk. "Thought I'd find you out here." Winter didn't respond, she still was unsure about how she felt about him joining her. She didn't know what was wrong with her that she was so indecisive when she thought about him. "Were you still thinking about getting a day off?" Winter looked up at him from where she lay in the grass.

"If I was, do you think I'd tell you?"

Qrow shrugged his shoulders, and Winter thought she glanced some sort of confliction there. "Hey, I'm just starting up a friendly conversation. I guess the Ice Queen's not up for small talk."

Winter sighed, counting blossoms again before answering him, "I was thinking about it… getting a day off, I mean." Qrow was silent for a moment.

"Good for you. You going to spend it with your sister?"

"Actually… Weiss has her studies to attend to."

"Right, right. Of course. I never was very inclined to study…" Qrow chuckled and plucked a few tall blades of grass from by his side. Winter smirked.

"Qrow Branwen? Studying? Perish the thought."

"I knew someday I'd find someone who understands." Qrow grinned, and then his smile faltered. He leaned back against the tree, looking up at the branches above them. "Sorry. I shouldn't… I mean, it's been so long since I've talked to someone like I've talked to you."

"I understand." Winter smiled, closing her eyes with a happy sigh. She breathed in the smell of the sweet grass and began humming softly to herself. It was a familiar little tune, just a childish lullaby about the sun bringing life to nature around them. She couldn't remember all the words, but she sang the chorus with some confidence, forgetting about Qrow, who was sitting nearby. And then a soft, hoarse voice joined her on the last line and Winter froze, opening her eyes to see that Qrow had moved closer to sit by her.

"You… sing?" She raised an eyebrow. Qrow laughed.

"Not well. I used to sing Ruby and Yang that lullaby when they were little."

"That's… actually sweet." Winter smiled. Qrow rolled his eyes,

"We really need to start discussing your understanding of the word 'compliment'."

"Hey!" Winter sat up and nudged him gently, "I _do_ think it's sweet, and I think you're…" She trailed off with a sigh. "I mean… you're a good uncle, Qrow. You'd make a good father." Qrow threw back his head and laughed out loud.

"Me? A dad?"

"It's not completely implausible!"

"If you say so, Ice Queen." He grinned, still laughing a little. Winter rolled her eyes. After a moment of silence she gave in.

"Do you know the rest of the words to the lullaby?"

"Some of them, probably." Qrow said, "I had it memorized in the day."

"It wasn't _that_ long ago that you were singing your nieces lullabies." Winter said, with a smile.

"Well, I guess you're right. Just several years is all, huh?"

"Can you teach me the rest of the song? I don't remember it."

"Teach you…? I don't know about that, Winter, I don't really sing… very much, or very well."

"Please? For me! I'd love to remember the words." Subconsciously she reached out and rested her hand on his.

"Heh… alright, alright. I'll sing for you, but I can't promise that it'll be pretty. At least you'll learn the words."

"Thank you!" Winter nodded, quickly drawing her hand away from his. Something was growing more and more different between them, something that she… well, she didn't fully understand it yet, but she hoped that with time things would become more clear.

That evening he walked her home, on his way back to his own small apartment. She paused to look up at the stars, and then smiled down at him from her doorstep.

"Thanks for teaching me the song, Branwen. I'm glad I remember it now." Qrow grinned, and for a moment Winter thought that maybe his cheeks were red.

"Your voice is… er… it's nice, I mean." He cleared his throat. "Much better than mine."

"Thanks you." She nodded, "And honestly, I don't think yours is as bad as you think it is."

"I suppose I should take that as a compliment." Qrow laughed. "I'll see you around, Ice Queen."

"Yeah, I suppose you will."

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 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **FeugoFox42:** _I'm glad you can confirm that teacher meetings are boring, hehe! I have no experience, but I figured they were probably as boring as any other meeting. Poor Winter, I know she would try her best to pay attention. :P_

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Oh gosh. I just can't focus enough right now (and especially not once school starts) to work on a full action-packed plot. I have done action fanfics before, but no. I will not be doing that with this. And I think you and I probably have similar tastes with regards to things changing pace right in the middle. And then smut. No. No thanks. :P_

 **Nina Vale:** _Definitely! Qrow and Winter are the perfect contrast for one another, and that's part of what makes them so great for each other!_

 **Thank you for reading and thanks for the reviews!**


	10. Drinking Buddies

"It'll only be a week-long leave of absence, of course. Just enough time for me to be in Vale for a couple of days." Winter handed Qrow the slip of paper with her request.

"Wait. Let me get this straight…" He glanced up at her briefly before looking down at the paper again. "You're taking vacation days to go have a meeting with Jimmy."

"Yes, that's correct." Winter crossed her arms, looking down at his desk expectantly. He raised his pen over the dotted line and then sighed and looked up again.

"I don't get it. These are your _vacation_ days. And you're using them to go to boring meetings. You should use sick days or something."

"Sick days? That's completely unprofessional and unethical! Sick days should only be used when you're ill!" Winter glared. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…"

"Fine, fine… you can use your vacation days however you want." Qrow groaned, signing his name at the bottom of her sheet. "Whatever. Where are you going again."

"To meet the general in Vale." Qrow's head snapped up.

"Vale?! That place is overrun with Grimm."

"I'm perfectly aware, Branwen."

"It's… Why there?"

"Progress reports... and all the rest of the _boring_ things you mentioned before. It doesn't matter. I won't be there long, and even I was… I'm perfectly capable of taking on a few Grimm." Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"Even with your arm the way it is?"

"My arm is fine now!" Winter gasped, "Besides, I _won't_ be alone. I'm not that stupid." Qrow nodded slowly.

"I wasn't implying you were." He hesitated and then handed Winter her paper. "I… hope you have a good trip. Say hi to Jimmy for me." Winter caught herself smiling, and Qrow grinned. "What's so funny, Ice Queen?"

"Nothing!" For some reason she thought for an instant that maybe she would miss him, and her heart skipped a beat at his smile. _What is this?_ "I'll be back next week."

As she left Qrow's office she cursed herself, and her stupid… whatever these were? Feelings for him? The words stuck in her mind like glue _. Feelings… for Qrow?!_ She gritted her teeth. Enough! She couldn't afford any time to be constantly thinking about it or worrying about it… or…

Feelings? For Qrow? It didn't seem so ludicrous. Winter bit her lip. Perhaps she had been spending too much time with him? Maybe she needed to distance herself a little. She returned to her apartment to begin packing for her week-long trip. Weiss was waiting in the small living area.

"So, you're going for sure?"

"Yes. I'll make preparations tonight. General Ironwood will be expecting me in a few days."

"How long will you be gone?" Weiss frowned.

"Only a week." Winter smiled a little, putting the kettle on for some tea.

"Still… I'll miss you, Winter." Winter looked back at her sister with a frown. She wasn't used to expressing her emotions. That wasn't how she was raised. But she offered Weiss a small smile.

"I'll miss you too, Weiss."

Weiss left after discussing her studies over tea, and then Winter got to work on packing. She was only an hour into her work when there was a loud rapping at the door. Winter sighed, quickly straightening her white blouse and hurrying to see what sort of guest she had at this late hour.

"Q-qrow! You… you're…. What are you doing here?!" Winter tried to compose herself but she could feel that she was blushing, and she hated it.

"I was passing by… thought maybe you'd like a break from all that packing."

"Honestly, I've only been working on it for an hour. I'm alright," Winter sighed. "I have to get up early tomorrow to depart-"

"I thought maybe we could get a drink." Qrow held out his hand for her to take.

"A what?"

"A drink."

"With you? I still have to finish packing. I really shouldn't."

"Didn't you ever break rules as a kid, Schnee? Just take my hand and come with me. I'm not that bad am I?" Winter smiled a little,

"No, I suppose you're not. Not _really_." Winter gently placed her hand in his and he rolled his eyes.

"Way to bolster a guy's confidence." Then he laughed a little. "Alright, come on. Let's get out of here."

Qrow led her to a tavern somewhere in the middle of town. It seemed to be a rather quiet night. Winter felt a little bit more comfortable about showing up hand-in-hand with Qrow Branwen because there weren't too many people. Qrow dropped her hand, sauntering over to the bar.

"Alright, Ice Queen. What'll it be?"

"Same as you." Winter shrugged. She didn't have much experience with alcohol, besides the fine wine her father served at charity balls and other similar events. She didn't drink much often besides that. Drinking alcohol slowed reaction time, and that certainly was not what she needed in the job she had. Qrow threw back his head and laughed.

"Think you can handle it? It's pretty strong." Winter narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"Of _course_ I can handle it, Branwen! I'm not an amateur!" _That_ was a complete lie, and by the way Qrow looked at her she wondered if he knew.

"Alright then." He ordered two drinks, asking her to find them a small table. When he came over to where she had chosen to sit with two shots of hard alcohol Winter eyed the amber drinks suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"Try it." Qrow downed his in one gulp, slamming his glass on the table with a grin. "Or… is it too much to handle?" Winter glared and threw back the drink, downing it in one go, just like he did. It burned! She tried desperately not to make a face. She set her glass down gingerly. The amber liquid warmed her chest and stomach.

"It's good…" She looked up at him with a little smile, "Is this what you drink all the time?"

"I used to. I haven't had too much to drink since I got stabbed by that son of a bitch on the way here." He looked down at his empty glass with a sigh, "Sometimes… I think that my bad luck is just… self-inflicted. Maybe I was just making things worse by pretending not to care." Winter gestured to the bartender for two more drinks and then moved her attention back to Qrow.

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. What matters is who you are in the present."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I believe that the past isn't something to dwell on."

"Heh… you're probably right." Qrow laughed a little. "This time."

"Hey!" Winter rolled her eyes. The bartender set down two more glasses in front of them.

"Alright then, what should we toast to?" Qrow raised his glass.

"The present?"

"The present, then!" They clinked their small glasses together and then they both downed their drinks. Winter was beginning to feel the buzz, like things were a little slow and unfocused. Qrow raised his hand to gesture for more drinks.

"You know what's so odd?" Winter said, taking her third drink from the bartender with a smile.

"What's that?" Qrow chuckled.

"We've been getting along so well… I'll almost miss you this week."

"Almost. Well then, I'll almost miss you too." Qrow winked and then downed his third drink, and Winter did the same. After a couple more drinks things were pretty dizzy and unfocused.

"You know what?"

"What's that?" Qrow asked.

"I've changed my mind."

"About what?"

"Going…. Going to…" Winter paused, "Where… where was I going this day?"

"Week, you mean? You're going to Vale, to meet with General Ironwood."

"Riighhhhtt… I changed… my mind about that… I'm gonna call him and tell him that I'm not comin'."

"What? _You?_ Disobey orders?"

"Yeah! Are you doubting me, Qrow?" She jabbed his shoulder with her finger. "I'm gonna call him and tell him that I'm stayin' here with you!"

"Me? Over orders from your superiors?" Qrow laughed.

"Let's have another drink."

"If you say so." Two more drinks were ordered for each of them, and Winter downed them both quickly.

"Can I tell you something, Mr. Branwen?"

"What would that be, Ms. Schnee?"

"There's two of you right now… and you're both very attractive." For once in his life Qrow was almost speechless. Winter leaned in closer. "Now there's only one of you… which is good, because now I can do this…" She reached out and grasped his collar and pulled him into a hungry kiss. After that she didn't remember very much at all.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Aquaticmammals:** _You are perfectly right! I apologize, sometimes I have silly typos like that. I was probably distracted when I wrote that sentence. :P_

 **Raichu Pikachu:** _Thanks! I'm glad you like it!_

 **Nina Vale:** _I agree. I think Qrow probably has a nice voice too. He's just a pessimist in general, which is sad, but I think Winter will help him realize he deserves better than he thinks he does. I like them too. I think they both are just adorable, though they would probably disagree._

 _Thanks for reading and thanks for leaving reviews!_


	11. Let's get you Home

Winter was pretty wasted. Qrow had recognized immediately that she wasn't used to consuming hard alcohol, but he figured why not let her loosen up a little bit before her ludicrous mission to Vale. _This_ was certainly not what he had been expecting. At first he was frozen up, and then he let himself melt into her kiss, which he really shouldn't have, but he couldn't help himself. He had been dreaming about kissing Winter Schnee almost since the moment he had laid eyes on her. Even though she was drunk, and the kiss was kind of sloppy, Winter Schnee _was_ a good kisser. And her lips tasted like alcohol, with a hint of mint and… citrus? Qrow let himself drown in the feeling and taste for a moment longer before he remembered that as much as Drunk Winter Schnee might be enjoying this, Sober Winter Schnee would kill him. He pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers for a split second before shaking himself awake from what felt like a dream come true.

Winter laughed a little, her words drawn out and slow, "I'll miss you." Was this really how she felt about him? Or was this all the alcohol talking? Was there some part of the sober Winter shining through?

"I'll… I'll miss you too…" It wasn't a lie. He enjoyed Winter's company, almost too much… and that kiss… "Maybe we should get you home, Ice Queen."

"Home? Why go home when we could do something fun?"

"Here, lets get you up. You need your rest before tomorrow." Qrow stood, gently taking Winter's arm and helping her rise to her feet. She stumbled a little, but grasped on to his arm tightly.

"What's… tomorrow?"

"You're going to Vale, remember?"

"Nooo…. I told you I wasn't. I'm staying here. With youuu…." Qrow didn't respond, he gently led Winter out of the tavern and back down the street with a sigh. Maybe this had been a bad idea. He couldn't get the taste of Winter's kiss out of his mind. What would he tell her when she was awake? She probably wouldn't remember half of this… Should he keep it to himself? Should he tell her the truth? The truth about these… strange feelings… "Are we going to your house?" Winter asked.

"No. I'm walking you home." Qrow sighed.

"We should kiss again."

"I don't think that's a very good idea." Qrow tried his best not to look her in the eyes. If he did he might not be able to resist, and that would be very, very bad. Winter swung her arm around his neck, pulling him close against her.

"Didn't you like it, Qrow? Don't you want to kiss me again?"

"That's exactly the problem, Schnee. I can't."

"Of course, you can," She ran her hand down his chest and to his belt. "Come on…"

"Yeah, let's go, before you give me a heart attack." Qrow leaned over, pulling Winter up in his arms so he could carry her home without her slowing him down.

"I kind of feeeel…" Winter paused, "Sick…"

"We're almost back to your apartment. Just hang on." When they finally made it to the familiar door Qrow set Winter down and he tried the door handle. "It's. Locked." Winter was too busy being sick in the potted plant next to her front steps to help him look for a spare key. Qrow figured in her state she wouldn't be much help anyways. After several eternal minutes he gave up looking. Winter had fallen asleep, sitting up against the house. _What am I going to do with you? I can't just leave you out here._ There was only one other option, and Winter wasn't going to like it.

Qrow carried Winter back to his own home, shakily unlocked the door and carried her into his room, laying her gently in his bed, and carefully pulling the blankets up to her shoulders. He did a quick tidy of the room, collecting his dirty dishes and throwing his dirty clothes into the closet, and then he stepped outside, shutting the door gently behind him. He would sleep on the couch tonight. He didn't mind. He changed out of his day clothes and into a light t-shirt and shorts. It was warm enough that he lay down, without blankets, but he couldn't fall asleep for some time. The ghost of their kiss was still on his lips.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **BMAN92:** _Yeah! Finally, am I right?_

 **Nina Vale:** _Probably! Hah! It definitely will take a while for Qrow to get used to the idea of being with someone like Winter. He really doesn't think he's worthy of anyone like her. But I do believe Winter will be able to convince him at last that they belong together!_

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	12. Hangover

Winter woke up the next morning all sweaty, and feeling like she had been hit in the head with an enormous hammer. On top of that, she had no idea where she was. She was in a strange bed, in a strange, dusty room, and she didn't remember how she got there. She slowly crawled out of the bed and looked down at herself. She was wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday- a white blouse and grey jeans. Someone had taken off her heels, which were sitting neatly by the bed. It was hot, and she felt sick. She quickly unbuttoned her long sleeve blouse, tossing it onto her bed, leaving her wearing a black tank top. She had no idea where she was, but she hoped it was some place with some sort of hair tie because her hair was hot against her neck.

 _I have to be on guard. I could be anywhere._ Yet, being on guard seemed completely impossible when she opened the curtains and the sunlight made her head explode with pain. _What the hell happened last night?_ Things were slowly becoming clearer in her memory. Qrow… the Tavern… drinking… How much had she had to drink? Was this a hangover? If it was, she didn't want it anymore. _I've learned my lesson, please… stop…_ After a few moments of adjusting to the light she slowly made her way to the door. She had to find out where she was. It was the day she was supposed to be leaving for Vale, and if she was late she could be in big trouble. Ironwood was expecting her.

Winter stepped out into a bright, but fairly messy kitchen. And there was Qrow Branwen, washing dishes, in shorts and a t-shirt.

"Q-qrow?!" Her own voice made her head pound, and she groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Oh… uh… I was just cleaning up a bit… here! Let me get you some water for that hangover." He brought her a glass of cool water and she drank it before asking in a whisper,

"Is this your apartment?"

"Yeah… I couldn't find the spare key to yours so… Don't worry, I slept on the couch. Here. Sit down." He pulled out one of the stools at his counter, which was covered in bills and other important papers. He quickly swept it all into his arms and he threw it in a box which he shoved behind the sofa.

"How… how many drinks did I have last night?"

"Seven or eight…? You were pretty… er…" Winter wasn't sure but it looked like Qrow's cheeks turned a light pink before he quickly looked away. "How about something to eat?"

"So, you brought me here?"

"I couldn't leave you out on the street, could I?" Qrow laughed a little. "You needed rest. After all, you have a flight today, don't you?"

"Right…" Winter was trying desperately to remember him helping her home… but she couldn't remember anything after the first few drinks. _I really am a lightweight…_

"Er… I guess I don't really have any food…"

"It's alright. I'm not really hungry anyways," Winter shrugged. There was a long awkward silence between the two of them before she spoke again, "Thank you… for taking me some place safe." Qrow chuckled,

"Anytime, Ice Queen. You know, you were pretty… relaxed after a couple of drinks."

"Isn't everyone?" Winter rolled her eyes.

"It was fun, talking to you last night."

"I remember some of it…" Winter sighed, "I wish I remembered more." Then she glared at Qrow, "And I wished you appreciated me sober as much as you apparently appreciate me drunk."

"Oh, it's nothing like that. It's just… some of the things you said were pretty… amusing." Winter narrowed her eyes.

"Like what?"

"Well… uh…" He hadn't expected that, and she could see he was pretty flustered, "Something about calling Jimmy and telling him you weren't coming."

"I… what?! You didn't let me, did you?"

"No, of course not. I think even when you were drunk you knew it was a bad idea."

"Did I say or do anything else completely mortifying?" And then she remembered, and she felt her whole face go red. Qrow was saying something, assuring her that no, she didn't do anything ridiculously embarrassing, but he was lying. She remembered. She had _kissed_ him.

"I… didn't do anything else?"

Qrow looked at her with a frown, "Uh… no, I already said…"

"You're lying."

"Why would I-?"

"I kissed you." Her statement was met with silence. "I kissed you, didn't I?!"

"Yes."

"Why would you lie about that?"

"Winter, I…"

"Why would you not tell me?!"

"Because I care about you!" Qrow gasped, "And I knew you would be upset!" Winter was silent for a moment.

"You… what?"

"I…" Qrow clenched his fists, looking down at his hands. "I care about you." She barely remembered the kiss, the taste of alcohol on his lips, the smell of pine. She carefully stood from her stool and reached out to press a hand to his cheek, studying his eyes. Those feelings… those feelings she had for him… She leaned forward, on her tiptoes, and barely brushed her lips against his. The taste of coffee, the smell of pine.

"Winter…"

"I care about you too." He stared at her for a moment before pulling her, not into a kiss, but into an embrace, and they stood there for what felt like an eternity, just holding on to each other. After a few moments of silence, he laughed a little,

"Am I dreaming?"

"If you are I really hope you don't wake up."

"You and I both." Qrow sighed.

"Where do we go from here?"

"Well, _you_ have to go to Vale." Qrow frowned.

"Curse your timing, Branwen." Winter huffed, "You should have told me you cared earlier."

"Hey, you're the one who kissed me, maybe you should have done _that_ earlier."

"Tsk." Winter rolled her eyes. "I'll see you when I get back?" Qrow grinned, gently wrapping his arms around her waist.

"One week? Let's meet to talk as soon as you get back."

"Where?"

"Outside the city gates?"

"What time?"

"What time do you get back?"

Winter sighed, resting her head on his shoulder, "I was hoping you'd say that. I don't know yet. I'll send you a message with the details."

"Alright, Ice Queen. We'll meet right after that. Don't get yourself killed in Vale, deal?" Winter laughed a little, gently pulling away from his grasp to shake his hand.

"Deal." She didn't want to say goodbye. In fact, more than ever she wanted to kiss him again, but she shook the desire away and collected her things. Qrow walked her to the door. Winter winced as the sunlight brought on a stronger headache.

"That hangover's gonna be with you for a while." Qrow frowned, "Drink lots of water, try and get some more sleep."

"Branwen!" Winter looked up at him with a smile, "If I didn't know better I'd say you were worried about me."

"Worried? Me? About you? Heh…" Qrow leaned closer to her, gently cupping her chin with his hand. "Whatever gave you that idea, Ice Queen?"

"I'll see you next week, Qrow." Winter smiled, gently turning away from him. Qrow chuckled, shaking his head,

"Give Jimmy my regards."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **bwburke94:** _;)_

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Voila! As you can see... she sort of accepts it. :P_

 **Nina Vale:** _Me too! Qrow is super adorable. :)_

 **Thanks for the reviews and thanks for reading! :D**


	13. Not on Your Life

**Hellooooo! Sorry about being so late! D: I have a lot written, but I kept forgetting to post it. Anywayyyysss! Here's chapter 13, and another one SOON to come. Thanks for your amazing patience.**

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Qrow paced back and forth in front of the gates, Imagining what he'd say when he saw her again. Everything he thought of seemed wrong… too casual, or too invested, or… He just hated this, waiting for her. He wished she would show up already. He _had_ missed her. He wondered if she felt the same. Hours passed, and Winter didn't arrive. Qrow kicked a few rocks out across the fields, hummed a song from a distant memory, counted the stars, and picked some wildflowers. Still, no sign of her.

Qrow leaned against a small tree, shoving his hands in his pockets. Maybe she had forgotten? Unlikely. Winter was the most organized person he knew. Maybe she had decided not to come after all. Thinking about it made him feel sick. He was just beginning to think that he should head back home when he heard soft footsteps behind him, and turned to see who was approaching.

"Professor Branwen," Winter Schnee was in uniform, but she looked rather disheveled. Her usually neat bun was loose and strands of long hair were falling out. Her uniform was creased and wrinkled. She looked tired, but Qrow had never been happier to see her.

"Schnee. I was afraid you decided not to come."

"Aww… did you miss me?" Winter stepped closer to him, and that's when he saw the terrible black and blue bruise across her right cheek and down to her jaw.

He frowned, gently brushing his thumb against her jaw. "Winter… what happened in Vale?" She winced, pulling away quickly.

"It's fine. Nothing. Just an ambush. A bunch of Grimm…"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You know I can take care of myself."

Qrow chuckled, "Yeah. I'm glad you're okay… you didn't get here on time and I was worried." He carefully wrapped his arms around her, "I did miss you." Qrow gently pulled her closer to him by her waist, she gasped, quickly pulling herself from his embrace.

"I'm… sorry. I have some bruises and a cracked rib. I have to be careful."

"A cracked rib? Winter…"

"It's fine. I told you, it's fine. I've had worse. You _know_ I've had worse." Qrow gently rubbed her shoulder.

"You're probably tired. I could walk you-!"

"I'm fine, Qrow. I just want…" Winter's cheeks, even under her bruise, turned scarlet. Qrow grinned.

"What's that?"

"I wanted to… spend time with you."

"Is that so?"

"I missed you too." She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and he leaned in close to her.

"Promise me you'll take me with you next time."

"It seems to me that I wouldn't be able to resist." She gently pulled him closer by the collar, into a soft kiss. Qrow gently caressed her cheek again.

"You should rest. I can walk you home." Winter sighed and took a step away from him.

"Alright. I suppose just this once you're right."

"Just this once?" Qrow chuckled and crossed his arms, "Alright, Ms. Schnee." He held out his arm.

"Why thank you, Branwen." Winter took his arm with a smile, and they walked together back into the city. Winter leaned her head against his shoulder. "Qrow? What we have is something… I never imagined in a million years I would have. And I certainly never imagined I'd have it with you."

Qrow laughed and shook his head. "I never… I never imagined you... you feel the same way about me… I don't think I deserve you."

"Qrow…" Winter frowned, gently pulling his arm until he stopped walking. "Look, I'll be the first to say you're an absolute insufferable bastard, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve something. I… care about you a lot. That's all that matters, right? I mean, that's what they say at least. Love is all that matters."

"Love." Qrow narrowed his eyes, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean love?"

"I mean…" Winter sighed, "Let's keep it at 'I care about you a lot' for now." She laughed a little. Qrow chuckled, pulling her into an innocent kiss.

"I care about you too, Miss Schnee. So, let's get you home before you give me a heart attack." Winter rolled her eyes, gently pulling away from his embrace,

"If you insist, Branwen." Qrow gently led her through the rest of town towards her apartment. Winter unlocked the door, and turned around to say goodnight. Qrow was trying to suppress a smile. "What now?"

"I was thinking maybe I should kiss you goodnight, Ice Queen."

Winter put on a mock scowl, "Kiss me? Not on your life, Qrow." She stepped back down from her front step and grabbed his collar, "I'll be the one kissing _you_." She quickly pulled him into a kiss by his collar, but didn't let it last longer than a few seconds. "Goodnight, Mr. Branwen."

"Goodnight, Winter," He breathed.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **BMAN92:** _I'm glad you like it! I seriously love this ship._

 **Nina Vale:** _Heheh... I've done that before (accidently left reviews as a guest). Yeah, I wasn't sure exactly where I'd go with the whole Winter kissing Qrow when he's drunk, but it just kind of went right on to confessing that they like each other, so... There are lots of instances where I just let the story take lead and I guess that's where it wanted to go._

 **Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews!**


	14. As Long as We Damn Well Please

With Winter living in town near where the girls were now attending school Weiss visited her sister often. It was one fateful afternoon when Winter was expecting her sister to come over for a specific reason. Weiss wanted to discuss wardrobes, a rather silly topic, Winter admitted, but there was nothing more important than having clothes that were comfortable as well as battle-ready. So, Weiss was coming so Winter could give her some examples from her own closet. And then maybe they would have tea. Winter did enjoy her sister's company, as much as she scolded her and tried to teach her to be better.

 _I only want what's best for my sister, and I want her to be happy._ Winter expected Weiss to arrive in a few minutes. So she quickly tidied the living area of her little apartment and the hurried towards her bedroom to make sure it was acceptable. _Or… rather… I want my sister to be better than me. I want her to learn from my mistakes._

Winter quietly stepped into her room, and nearly screamed when she flicked on the light.

"Ice Queennnn…." Qrow grinned. He was stretched out across her bed, his feet propped up on one of the posts of her bedframe.

"QROW!" She choked, "What the hell are you doing here? You nearly scared me to death! I-" He sat up with a sigh, and a wink.

"What, I can't visit my girlfriend?"

"Wh-girlfriend?!"

"Aren't we…seeing each other or something?"

"Are you drunk?!"

"What? Oh, come on. _I_ don't get drunk," He stood up with a huff. "What's going on? Why are you so… ehh… anxious…?"

"Weiss is going to be here any _second_ and you thought today would be the perfect day to sneak into my bedroom?!"

"Trust me, I've thought of doing it on more than one occasion, today was the day I _acted_ on that thought."

"Branwen-!"

"Winter," He flashed her that ridiculous grin of his and she felt her resolve weaken.

"Damn you! Why are you so…?" She huffed in exasperation, trying to find the right word.

"Devilishly handsome? Charismatic? Irresistible?"

"None of those were what I was looking for but… yes." Qrow laughed out loud and then pulled her into a soft kiss. She always forgot how good he tasted, how perfectly they seemed to fit together, how when they kissed it was almost as if they were one. And then there was a chime at the door, and Winter pushed him away quickly. "Weiss is here!"

"Wait…"

"Get… under the bed! Quickly!"

"Under the-? Winter!"

"Get. Under. The. Bed!" She quickly pushed Qrow under the bed, and then straightened her bedsheets quickly, before rushing downstairs to answer the door.

"Winter? There you are!" Weiss sighed.

"I apologize… I was just about to come down. I was just getting ready." She touched her hair, and to her frustration remembered that Qrow had ran his hands over her regularly neat bun and now it was all disheveled. "I was… just resting… But now that you're here we can get started… with the… with the tea…" She couldn't think straight. _Damn him!_ He was literally driving her insane.

"Winter…? Are you alright? You're acting a little… strange."

"I'm fine! I'll get the kettle started and perhaps you can make yourself comfortable."

"I thought we were looking at clothes first?" If Winter knew Qrow he would already be laying across her bed again, completely ignoring her instructions.

"Uh… Let's talk down here first. We can go up and look at my outfits later. I've always believed that tea is the best start of any day." She hurried into the kitchen, leaving Weiss to find a seat in the living room. She shouldn't have let him kiss her. His kisses always made her dizzy with happiness, and now she couldn't get the taste out of her head. She took a deep breath and focused on the tea. _Weiss is here, I'll deal with Qrow later._ When the tea was ready she brought it out on a tray with two pretty tea cups and some scones. When Weiss was little, and she asked Winter to come to a tea party with her little stuffed animals, as an older teen Winter was able to teach her sister the basics of how to properly serve tea. She remembered that day like it was yesterday, though it was many years ago. She smiled a little at the memory. Weiss and Whitley were both much later additions to the family than Winter, and she loved them dearly, but she had taken become closer to her younger sister. When they were younger they had become more than family, Weiss had considered Winter a friend. And maybe Winter thought the same about Weiss, though she had always used moments like the tea party as a way to teach her sister.

As they were sitting and drinking tea there was a loud thump from upstairs. Weiss froze, looking up with a frown.

"What was that?"

"Um… maybe… I'll go check. You stay here." Winter slowly got to her feet and marched upstairs with purpose, trying not to alert her sister that she knew exactly what the stupid noise was. When she reached her bedroom she opened and closed the door and found Qrow, once again, laying on her bed with his boots kicked off on the floor.

"Qrow."

"Hey… is little sister gone yet?"

"We can hear you from downstairs! What are you doing anyways? I told you to hide under the bed. Weiss is going to want to come up and-"

"Are you embarrassed of me?" His question was so abrupt and his expression was so… nervous, or scared, she was speechless.

"Wh-wh-what do you mean?!"

"I was thinking about it… you don't want Weiss to see me with you. Are you… embarrassed about being with me."

"Of course not!"

"Then why haven't you told Weiss about us?"

"Well, why- why haven't you told Ruby and Yang?!"

"Uh…"

"So… so are you embarrassed about me?!"

"No, I just forget, okay? I've thought about telling them but…" Winter huffed, crossing her arms.

"I am… I am _not_ embarrassed by you, Qrow Branwen. I care about you very deeply, and I'm…" She wasn't sure what she was trying to say, "I was afraid if we started to tell people… I don't know, I might ruin everything we've worked towards. I mean, Qrow, come on? You and I? How long do you really think it's going to work out? We used to hate each other."

Qrow chuckled, swinging his legs to the side of the bed to sit up, "Come on, Winter, I'm supposed to be the pessimistic one," He gently took her hand, from where he was sitting and pulled her closer. "I think that this thing we've got going on is a good thing, and it'll last as long as we damn well please." He pulled her into his lap and kissed her cheek gently. She leaned into it with a smile, entwining her hand in his.

"That _is_ awfully optimistic of you, Branwen."

"Hey, there are days when I _do_ try, Ice Queen." He brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes and offered her a genuine smile that made her feel warm, "Hey, Winter, we're gonna be fine."

"Winter?! Are you okay up there?"

"I should go back down, before Weiss comes up looking for me. Maybe… maybe you'd like to come down with me?"

"Are you sure?" He laughed a little.

"If you promise to tell Ruby and Yang."

"Alright, alright… I promise." She was about to stand, but he held onto her hand with a pleading smile, "One last kiss?" She scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "What can I say?" He grinned, "I'm addicted to you, Winter Schnee."

Some sort of unrecognizable emotion filled Winter's heart with warmth and she leaned in and kissed him once more, pressing her hand to his cheek.

"Winter?!" Weiss was ascending the stairs, Winter could hear her light footsteps.

"Come on, Branwen," Winter whispered, "Let's go tell my sister about _us_."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _Ahhhh... yes. I'm going to be completely honest here and admit that I actually completely forgot about auras while I was writing this. You're right, Winter shouldn't have been that badly off, if hurt at all. But, for the sake of this I suppose we'll say it was just **really** bad and she did run out, and that's why Qrow was actually so worried. (Actually he probably would have been more worried, if I had taken auras into consideration). *knocks head against the wall* duhhhh..._

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Yes, hopefully I'll be back with more every once and a while. Even now that school is starting._

 **BMAN92:** _Oh I believe it. Qrow would definitely just let her. But I'll even add that he lets her **especially** when she's wrong, because he just likes to piss her off. I mean, even in the show he gets her riled up but he always does it in a way that she's more to blame because she made the decision to... attack him for instance. He thinks it's funny. (Or he just thinks it's adorable). _

**gnrhippie:** _I'm so glad you like it! I hope so too. :D_

 **Thanks for reading and leaving reviews!**


	15. Nightmares

**Hey, all! How crazy is this? I finally posted something! Whaaaattt!**

 **So, I wrote this a while ago. What I had originally intended was to add a short chapter about Qrow and Winter telling Weiss and a short chapter about them telling Yang and Ruby, but I never got it done and I know you all need some more Qrowin so I just decided to move on and post this. We'll see if I can slowly get another chapter out for you all (even if I have to write like one paragraph a week). School is literally kicking me in the gut, so we'll see what happens.**

 **Thanks for sticking around!**

 **-anna**

* * *

Naturally, Weiss had millions of questions, and even after Winter was able to answer them she still looked on Qrow and Winter's relationship skeptically and tried to avoid the subject. Yang and Ruby, Qrow's nieces, were the exact opposite. Both were overly ecstatic about Qrow "finally finding a girlfriend." Winter had let Qrow answer their questions, though _both_ of them had been rather overwhelmed by their excitement. From that moment on it was extremely difficult for Winter to avoid the sisters. Those moments of peace, when she was finally able to lock the door to her room and get ready for bed, were ones she loved dearly.

Her regular routine was complete and she had been asleep for some time when she was awoken by something outside her door. She lay in the dark, silence of her room, trying to remember what she had heard that woke her. She wasn't usually that light of a sleeper. The wind or the rain wouldn't wake her. So what was it? In those first few silent moments of confusion she held her breath, waiting. She jumped at the sound of a soft rapping at her door. Now wide awake, she sat up quickly and reached for where she kept her weapon. There was one soft knock again, and then a familiar voice,

"Winter…?" She breathed a sigh of relief, her heart still racing, as she stood and went to open her door. Qrow was standing on the other side, in his plain pajamas. He had been leaning his head against her door, and when he looked up she saw dark circles under his eyes. He looked absolutely tormented. When he saw her, he took in a shuddering breath. "You're… safe…"

"Qrow, you look awful…" She reached out to brush the hair away from his eyes, but he gripped her arms gently, and then pulled her into a tight embrace. "Qrow, what happened?" She felt him cling to her as if she were his lifeline.

"It's… the dreams…" He tried to pull her closer, as if she wasn't close enough. He was so desperate for her, or desperate to make sure she was really there, that she wasn't leaving. He was silent after that. She wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to talk about it, or just because he couldn't without breaking. She held him close, terrified that she wasn't doing it right. She had never been good at the whole comforting thing. When Weiss was little… there were those times she would trip and fall, or a favorite toy would break. Winter was never good at comforting her little sister.

 _"_ _It's fine. Get back on your feet, Weiss. Schnee women are strong."_

"Qrow." She gently pried herself away from his embrace looked him in the eyes.

"I'm fine." He mumbled. There was alcohol on his breath, and he looked like he was about to collapse.

"I know. You're strong." Winter whispered. "Do you… want to talk about it?" Qrow clenched his fists and looked down at her with a firm shake of his head,

"No." The wall that he hid all the pain behind was slowly being rebuilt. "I'm fine." He flashed her a small smile.

"Do you want to stay?" Winter said, brushing her thumb across his jaw. He hesitated, glancing over her shoulder to her bed.

"Look, Ice Queen, I'm… I'm sorry I woke you. I'll just go back…"

"Stay, Qrow," She said, "Please." He let out a breath, and then leaned over, resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Do you have nightmares, Winter?"

"Sometimes." Qrow was silent a long moment.

"You must be tired. You should get some rest."

"You should too." Winter frowned, gently pulling him to her bed. "Just stay, for me?"

"Alright, alright. For you."

He climbed into bed after her, pulling her close as they lay there in the sweet, dark silence of her bedroom. She rested her head on his shoulder. His heartbeat was steady, and she breathed to its rhythm. After a few long moments of lying awake, Qrow's arm shifted and he pulled her closer to rest his chin on her head. He breathed in, and kissed her temple.

"Thank you," he whispered in a hoarse voice. Winter let herself smile.

"It will always be part of the job, won't it?" She whispered, "The nightmares." She felt Qrow shrug,

"I don't doubt it. I've… never told anyone about it before. I can usually just get through them myself." Winter was quiet for a long time before she sat up a little to look down at him,

"We're here for each other now, Qrow Branwen."

Qrow laughed a little, and leaned forward to kiss her quickly, "I owe you one, big time, Ice Queen."

"I'll be sure to wake _you_ up next time, okay?"

"Deal." Qrow chuckled.

Winter rested her head on his shoulder again, closing her eyes and wrapping her arm across his chest. They fell asleep sharing each other's comforting warmth.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Sorry you didn't get to see Weiss' jaw drop. Like I said, when I saw people were excited to see it I was going to go back and add a chapter, but I never got around to it. I hope you enjoyed this anyways! More to come (maybe semi-soon)!_

 **BMAN92:** _(How long has it felt like now... oh man, so sorry) I know what you meen about the waiting though. I've been there with fanfiction before. It sucks, and I feel bad, but I'm back in college now so things are pretty tight schedule wise. Anyways, that's all boring boring news. As an answer to your question: This fanfiction is rated Teen for a very specific reason. I have language in my fanfiction, and sometimes there are some **suggestive** lines. But I never, ever go farther than that, which is why this is not rated Mature or Explicit. We can all assume that yes, our favorite ship is heading down that road, but we can also all assume correctly that I won't be writing about that in detail, lmao. I hope that's okay, it's just not something I do. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. _

**Nina Vale:** _Flustered Qrow is seriously the best! Haha yes, Weiss definitely imagines Winter's partner as being as perfect and mannered as Winter is, and of course Qrow is the exact opposite, so I'm sure it was quite a shock to her. :P_

 **Thanks for your reviews and thanks so much for reading and having patience with the updates! :)**

 **See you next time!**


	16. Are You Awake?

**Heyyyyyy! Look who's alive! C'est moi!**

 **Yeah, I know it's been a while, but I haven't forgotten. I. Have. Not. Forgotten.**

 **I'm in a class right now that I hate more than anything and it's really freaking hard and basically it's consumed my entire life. So, thank god that's only got a few weeks left, and thank god for this evening of freedom when I actually got to sit down and write! I cannot tell you all how happy I am that I got finally write what _I_ want. Gosh, what a relief. **

**Anywaysssss... Here is a new chapter! I hope you all like it, I had fun writing it. I'm not sure how good it is, in terms of character, since I haven't written anything besides essays (excluding the short story for my Historical Fiction Writing Class) in soooo long. Let me know what you think.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

It was winter. The seasons had seemed to pass by so quickly. The days grew shorter, the nights grew colder. Now, in the dim light of a frosty morning, Winter blinked awake far too early. The streets outside were silent, the room was barely a soft gray color, the sun not quite able to burst through the clouds, or perhaps not even risen above the hills surrounding the city. Qrow was still fast asleep next to her, she could feel his warmth, and his breath against her neck. Naked skin on naked skin, fingers entwined, legs tangled in sheets. She didn't dare move, didn't want to disturb him.

She couldn't quite remember how she had ended up in his bed again. It happened so often now, that when it didn't it seemed like something was missing. This seemed right, like they fit together, hand-in-hand, their hearts beating on time with each other. She often thought about what she would have thought a year ago, if someone had told her that she'd be laying just like this with him. Looking back now, though, she wondered if even then she had feelings for him. Qrow Branwen. Something inside her filled with warmth when she thought of his name.

"Qrow Branwen," She whispered it to the gray room, the white window, and the gray sky. She turned a little, to fully embrace him, pressed against him and the smell of pine. He stirred, and she closed her eyes. If she pretended to be asleep, maybe he would stay in bed a little longer—just the two of them.

"Win…?" There was a moment of silence before he pressed a kiss to her forehead, she savored his touch, breathing in deeply. "You awake?" She didn't respond, but nuzzled closer to him. He seemed to think she was still asleep, and pulled her closer gently, resting his chin on the top of her head. Winter lay in silence, soaking in every touch, breathing in the smell of him- pine and whiskey. In that short moment of silence, he moved again, kissing her temple. "I love you."

Those three words came so easily and smoothly out of his mouth, it was almost like he had said it before. Almost like he had whispered it to her when she wasn't listening, like he had murmured it into her ear when he was fast asleep, and it took Winter completely by surprise. Her eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly, accidentally bumping her head into his chin.

"Ow-!" He gasped, "Win, you're awake?!"

"What did you just say?"

"I…"

There was a breath of silence as they stared at each other, sitting up in bed. Their legs still tangled in blankets, Qrow's hair disheveled, and Winter holding the sheets against her chest. It felt like they were both holding their breaths, Winter's heart was racing.

"Say it again." She managed to finally whisper.

"What?" Qrow tilted his head a little, raising an eyebrow. Winter let out a breath and rocked a little where she sat.

"What you said: say it again."

In the silence of that gray room, in the gray of winter, Qrow Branwen said, without hesitation, "I love you, Winter." And that warm feeling, that explosion of excitement, joy, and _warmth_ overwhelmed her. She laughed, because suddenly she was inexplicably happy, and she grabbed Qrow's hand squeezing it tightly. There was hope in his eyes, or perhaps something like hope… like he didn't dare _quite_ hope. She felt tears on her eyelashes as she pressed her other hand tightly against his cheek,

"I love you too." Qrow laughed a little, almost as if he couldn't quite believe it, and then he lunged forward, pulled her into a kiss. She felt tears on his cheeks as he pulled away, kissing her nose and her jaw and her neck.

"You love me," He breathed, pulling away again to look her in the eyes. She nodded, gently rubbing her thumb against his jaw.

"I do, I love you." Then she couldn't stop saying it. They stayed in bed for a little while longer. It wasn't until later that they finally pulled themselves out of bed. They got dressed quickly, knowing that Weiss and the others would be downstairs, waiting for them with some sort of breakfast—probably pancakes.

As they came down the stairs Weiss eyed them suspiciously, but she didn't say anything. Ruby bounced over to them with her regular ridiculously happy smile,

"Ren made pancakes! There's probably some left… if Nora didn't eat them all." She narrowed her eyes at her energetic friend who shrugged her shoulders in mock innocence. Winter smiled a little as Qrow stalked into the kitchen to search for the food.

"It's alright, I'm not really feeling pancakes this morning anyways." In reality, the idea made her stomach turn. Perhaps it was because since the beginning of Winter Break Ren had made nothing _but_ pancakes for breakfast. Nora popped up, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Ooooooooooh! Can I have yours?!"

"Go ahead," Winter nodded. Nora dashed into the kitchen after Qrow, and Winter followed her. Qrow was pulling a tray of pancakes out of the oven where they were being kept warm.

"How many do you want, Ice Queen?"

"I'm alright, thank you." Winter said, sitting up on the counter across from him. Qrow frowned, but shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself."

"Ummmmm! I'll take those!" Nora quickly grabbed three pancakes and dashed out of the kitchen again. Winter watched Qrow serve himself his breakfast, and come stand next to her.

"Are you feeling alright, Win?"

"I'm fine…" She smiled, kicking her feet a little. "More than fine." She leaned over and kissed him before he could get in a bite of pancake. "You love me."

Qrow's cheeks turned a bright red, "I do."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Vocalpainter:** _I have returned! Mwahahaha! No, but seriously, I'm certainly sorry it's later than I'd like, but life happens. I definitely plan on continuing this. :)_

 **BMAN92:** _See, I do things like this. ^^^ **Obviously** they weren't just sleeping. ;) I agree with you, excluding oneshots (because it makes sense if those are just cute cuddles or something) real life happens, so fics **should** reference that. There is something adorable about Winter like "how do I... I don't know how to comfort you!?" But we also get to see how Qrow doesn't need her to know how, he just needs her to be there for him. 3 They're so super cute. 3_

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Haha yesss! You are so right. Those "broken" ships certainly are the best, in some cases. I think the appeal is the potential for healing, between the two. Though they're different, they find a stable foundation with each other, and they find a way to leave behind the past (in Qrow's case) and focus on the future they have with each other._

 **Nina Vale:** _I seriously love Qrow's character so much. I don't know why I like that type of character so much, but I just really do. And Qrow is definitely that type of person, he pretends he doesn't care because of his past-his semblance, but he really does care. I love how you put that, that Winter might have been the first to ask-the first to really truly be there for them (and by that I mean the first to be open to him in his eyes). I think that's party of the reason they **are** so perfect for each other, they are **there** for each other. _

**Thanks for the reviews, all! I'll see when I can get another chapter in. :P**

 **See you next time!**

 **-annawrites**


	17. Market Day

**HI! Guess what? Writing that last chapter actually really helped me with my stupid stress, so I decided (despite my mounds of homework) that I was going to write another one, and then another one. So I have some more for you all. And! I'll definitely be working on this over Thanksgiving break, (because no school, thank the lord).**

 **Anywaysssss! Enjoy thissss! :D**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

"MARKET DAY!" The exuberant scream came from Nora, who slid down the banister landing on the first floor of their little apartment with a hop.

"Nora…" Ren sighed, but Qrow noticed the hint of a smile at the young man's lips.

"Alright, alright, kids." Qrow waved his hands to get everyone's attention. "Listen, it happens to be a Tuesday, again. Which, unfortunately, means I have to chaperone you all in the most crowded, noisy place in this entire city."

"Come on, Uncle Qrow! Market day is awesome! There's always so much to see and…" As Ruby blabbered on and on about how exciting the markets were, Qrow sighed, and couldn't help but agree that though the market days were days that could be considered part of his worst nightmares, they were good for the kids and good for morale. With everything that was happening outside the city, with the grimm and the white fang… Well, he was glad the kids still wore smiles on their faces.

"Alright, yeah, okay. You all like Market Day. Fine. Listen, I feel like I'm gonna seriously regret this, but I'm giving you all a little bit of money to spend on whatever you'd like."

"WHAAAAT!" Nora squealed.

"What! Uncle Qrow, you're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm great. Listen, remember the rules. Stick together. Etcetera." Qrow handed out a bit of money to each of his charges. When he reached Oscar, the young man looked up at him with a smile,

"I… Well, I… don't know what I'd get with this?"

"Whatever catches your eye. And if you don't want anything, maybe Ozpin does." Qrow shrugged, "Just take the money, kid."

Qrow led his small group out into the street, where, unsurprisingly, Winter and Weiss were waiting.

"There you are." Winter murmured, sitting up from where she was leaning against the wall across from their small home. "We've been waiting."

"Sorry, was giving the kids their 'allowance'." He glanced over to where his group of proteges were greeting Weiss.

Winter took his arm and pulled him in for a quick kiss, which was a little surprising, since she normally didn't do _anything_ like that in front of her sister. "You'd make a good father, Qrow." It wasn't the first time she had said that. He remembered it clearly. It had been the day they sat under the blossom tree. He had told her that he sang Yang and Ruby lullabies when they were little. He laughed now, just like he had then.

"I can't imagine having my own kid."

"Can anyone?" Winter smiled. The group of hunters and huntresses in training had set off. Qrow and Winter followed them at a leisurely pace.

"What do you want to do today?" Qrow asked, purposely changing the subject. Thinking about having a kid, being that-kind-of-responsible? It made him sick to his stomach. He wasn't sure he could really pull that kind of thing off. He had loved being around Yang and Ruby, of course, but they were his nieces, that was totally different.

"I don't know. It's market day, we should do something fun." Winter sighed, "But you know I have a meeting this afternoon."

"Well, I guess we should make the most of this time then." Qrow took Winter's hand and swung her out and then back towards him, gently pulling her closer by her waist.

"What are we doing?" Winter grinned.

"Dancing."

"There's no music!" She laughed.

"Just let it happen," Qrow spun her around, and then pulled her back in, stepping to the side and then back, counting in his head and then out loud. Winter was laughing, and he loved to see her laugh. They danced up and down the small lane they had been walking in, and he counted and she laughed, and when his imaginary song was over he pulled her close and whispered,

"I love you." And her response was as heart-stopping-ly perfect as it had been the first time:

"I love you too." He noticed, though, her hesitation.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a little dizzy," she smiled, "But that was perfect."

"Should we go get something to eat? Maybe some coffee?"

"Something to eat sounds nice. I wasn't feeling well this morning," Winter sighed, "I didn't have breakfast."

They made their way into the markets. The city center was crowded with stalls and people. They had to weave their way through to make it to Winter's favorite café on the corner. That, by itself, was so crowded that Qrow left Winter outside to try and brave the storm to get them both something to eat and drink.

"I'll get you a bagel and some coffee?" He smiled. Winter looked unsure but after a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

"Alright."

"Be back as soon as I can." The line inside the café was ridiculous, and glancing out at where Winter leaned against the wall of the café, outside he wished people would hurry up. It was chilly outside. People said it might snow that evening. Warm coffee would definitely be a plus. After finally getting his order, two bagels and two cups of steaming hot coffee, he hurried back outside to be with Winter.

The coffee smelled amazing, but he couldn't really drink it without Winter taking her portion of their purchase. The moment he tried handing it to her though, Winter's entire face paled.

"What-?" Before he could finish his question she quickly shoved his hand (and the coffee) away and leaned over into the alley by the café, gagging. "Winter?!" Qrow quickly set down their food and rushed to her side, gently placing a hand on her back.

"I'm fine," She breathed. "I think I'm getting sick… I… I've been so tired…"

"Hey, come on. Let's sit down." He found a bench, out of the way of the market-goers, and they sat down. Winter rested her head against his shoulder, and he pulled her close. "What's going on?"

"I just haven't been myself lately, is all." She said.

"Usually when I feel like that I find a bar."

"You drink when your stomach is sick?" Winter narrowed her eyes, "I imagine that makes it feel much better."

"Doesn't drinking make everything feel better?" Qrow grinned, and Winter elbowed him. Hard. "Ow."

"Drinking is the last thing on my mind right now." Winter sighed.

"I know," Qrow smiled, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm teasing you, Ice Queen." Winter looked up at him pleadingly and he wished more than anything he could help her feel better.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Maybe you should go see a doctor?" Qrow frowned, a little more worried now.

"I… I will. I'll wait a little though. I'll go if it doesn't go away in a couple days."

"Alright, let me know if there's anything I can do to help, whenever you need anything." Qrow smiled, and kissed her forehead. She sighed, leaning against him again.

"Thank you, Qrow."

"Anything for you."

* * *

 **Replies to reviews!**

 **hypernova2718: (ch. 6)** _Hi! (I realize now, that you won't see this until you catch up? So I'll PM you too!) I'm so glad you're liking the story! Yeah! Qrow's semblance always bothered me (though I do believe there's *some* truth to it), so I never looked at it exactly as the way he describes it. I feel like, because his life has (at many points) sucked, he over-exaggerates his "involvement" in the bad bits of life. I think he just likes to blame himself for literall g. That's just Qrow. Thanks for the tip with the title! I'll see if I can fix it. It's a really good idea, I never thought of it before!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Ah you *did* leave a review! For some reason, I didn't see it until I decided to post this chapter. Hmm... Yes! I was soooo excited to write all that, and it helped so much with my stress. Writing is therapeutic... especially when the ship is coming to life! Yeah, I don't what it is, I just love that kind of ship-where one of them is so broken (like Qrow) and the other, though they may have a twisted past, still sees past that brokenness, or is able to help heal some of that brokenness. I think that, for sure, that's Winter._

 **BMAN92:** _Whaaaatttttt... *raises hands innocently* I am the Queen of subtlety! What in the wooorlllddd could there be to guess?! *coughs* In all seriousness, though, I wouldn't be surprised if you got it right. I am **not** the queen of subtlety. In fact, I'm really... really bad at it. But does this response confirm anything...? *slips away into the shadows*_

 **Thanks, everyone, for the reviews! See you with the next chapter!**

 **-annawrites**


	18. We're Going to Have to Wait

**I did get some writing done this weekend! I'm going to use this as therapy from now on... *sigh* it helps with the stress levels! Ah college...**

 **Hope you all enjoy this one!**

* * *

The General was saying something important about the Atlas borders, of course, but Winter wasn't listening. She had been avoiding Qrow the past week… well… not necessarily avoiding him, but more like making up excuses about not spending the night together and so on. The last time they spoke and she turned him down again, she could clearly see the pain in his expression, like he felt that something was wrong but he wasn't quite sure what or how to fix it. The beginning of the week had been so much easier… she had simply told him the truth: that she was sick. But she knew that it was so much more than that. She couldn't hide from Qrow forever, even if she wanted to. It hurt to be apart from him. She missed his strong arms, that warm feeling in her chest whenever he smiled. Though she had once hated it, she missed how he teased her, how they argued. She missed his smell, his taste, his touch. _And it's only been a week._

"Winter? are you listening?" Before she could respond the doors behind them burst open and Qrow stumbled in.

"Winter! I've been looking everywhere for you!" He threw his arm around Winter's shoulder, yanking her into a tight hug. "Where have you been?" His voice took a much more serious tone as he whispered in her ear. "I've been worried-"

"Qrow." James cleared his throat and crossed his arms, leaning over them. Winter quickly pushed her boyfriend off her.

"You're drunk." She sighed.

"Not any more than usual," Qrow chuckled, shrugging his shoulders with an innocent smile, "Jimmy! What brings you to Mistral?"

"Qrow, what the hell are you doing here? This room is off-limits to civilians."

"I'll have you know that I was looking for Ms. Schnee, and I found her. Now if you'll excuse us for a moment-" Qrow took Winter's hand but before he could lead her out of the room James grabbed Qrow's shoulder.

"Ms. Schnee and I were having a conversation, Branwen." Qrow glanced over at Winter, who wasn't quite sure what to do. She wanted to talk to Qrow, she _had_ to talk to Qrow, but he should have known that this had to be finished first.

"Fine. We can do this here." Qrow shrugged James' hand off his shoulder and looked Winter in the eyes and frowned, "Have you been avoiding me?" Winter choked, shaking her head quickly. They could not have this conversation in front of her superior. No, James would not like it if he found out Winter was with Qrow. Qrow was way too meddlesome for James' liking, and the General would immediately assume that Qrow was sleeping with her to get information about the moving of troops, or how James handling the war. Winter knew Qrow disagreed with a lot of James' tactics. She had to fix this. She quickly put on her stone-cold expression, and narrowed her eyes,

"Avoiding you? You mean more than usual? You ask as if I have any reason not to avoid you." The moment Winter saw Qrow's expression she knew she had screwed up. _Shit._ He let James grab his shoulder and push him towards the door,

"Again: Qrow. Ozpin might have included you in our little secret meetings, but that doesn't mean I will _ever_ trust you. Ozpin is dead. Go find another hobby." James swung the door shut, and the CRACK it sounded off as it hit home, reverberated through Winter's soul. _Shit. I shouldn't have said that._

* * *

When Qrow came up to his bedroom that evening, Winter was sitting on the edge of his mattress, her uniform laying neatly folded in the chair next to his bed. She was wearing pajamas. Short shorts, and a light t-shirt. Her hair was down. Qrow didn't say anything as he closed the door behind him.

"Qrow…" He didn't respond. He took off his belt and began unbuttoning his shirt. "The silent treatment? Really?" Winter huffed.

He turned quickly to face her, and crossed his arms over his bare chest, glowering down at her. "What is this to you, Ice Queen? Some sort of petty game?"

"No, of course not-"

"You've barely talked to me all week? And then you throw that at me?! 'More than usual?-As if you had a reason not to avoid me?!'" He was furious, she could see it in his eyes, but it was fed by some sort of anguish.

"Qrow, I am… so, so sorry. I made a mistake-"

"A week and a half worth of mistakes, Winter! How many messages did I send you?"

"I was scared!" She gasped, tears threatening to fall.

"Of _what_?" Qrow narrowed his eyes. Winter hugged herself, rocking back and forth where she sat on the bed, trying to take deep breaths.

"I… it's… I didn't want to talk about it like this."

Qrow let out a deep sigh and knelt in front of her, gently taking her hands. "I'm sorry. Win, look at me, I'm sorry. I was worried about you, and when I went to find you and you were with James, I didn't mean for that all to happen. I know you weren't ready to talk to him about us yet."

"Qrow, I have something really important that we have to talk about." Winter looked down at him with a sigh, "But I'm… I'm scared."

"What's this about?" Qrow frowned.

"Alright then." She shrugged a little, and smiled, "I think I'm pregnant." Qrow froze, his mouth partly open, his eyes searching her face—perhaps looking for some sort of clue that this was a joke.

"Qrow, are you alright?" Winter frowned.

"What… wait. Slow down. Hold up. What?" He sat back a little, still trying to study her, she could see the disbelief, the bewilderment, in his eyes.

"I think I'm pregnant."

"Like… you're going to have a kid?"

"I _think_." She nodded, "I've been sick, and I feel so strange, and I missed my last two-"

" _My_ kid?" Winter frowned,

"Whose else would it be?"

"I just thought… with my semblance… it would be just my luck if…"

"Qrow." Winter slowly slipped off the bed and knelt in front of him, gently resting her hands against his cheeks, "I love you, more than anything. If I'm pregnant, trust me, there's no way it's anyone's but yours." There was a moment of silence before Winter realized that he was crying, perhaps because of the ridiculous grin that was plastered across his face. "Are you alright?" She said, brushing a tear away from his cheek with her thumb. He laughed a little, shaking his head.

"Can you imagine? Me? A dad?"

"I can, actually," She said, thinking back to him singing that lullaby, or him interacting with their own personal group of teenagers.

"I don't deserve this," He let out a hoarse laugh, shaking his head.

"Qrow, don't be ridiculous," Winter whispered.

"I was so terrified, when we started this crazy ride, that I would lose you, Winter. I'm bad luck."

"You know I don't believe that for a second."

"What if my semblance…"

"Don't even think about that, Qrow. Nothing's going to happen. _If_ I'm pregnant."

"What if you _are_? What are we going to do?" He hesitated and then grasped her shoulders with both his hands. "We could move in together."

"Slow down, Branwen, we don't even know yet."

"How do we find out?"

"I take a test," Winter said.

"Where do we get one?"

"I brought one with me." She glanced over to where her uniform was folded up neatly, concealing the small box. "I can take it now, if you want me to."

" _If_ I want you to?"

"Alright. I'll go do that." She paused before she stood, taking her hand and entwining her fingers with his. "Qrow? Are you really alright?" Qrow offered her his regular confident grin.

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"I'll be right back."

When Winter came back into the room, with the small test in her hand Qrow was pacing back and forth.

"Is it ready?"

"No," Winter set the test carefully on the bedside table, and took Qrow's hand. "We're going to have to wait."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Awww yes! I love Qrowin soooo much. They're my OTP in this fandom, probably. But I have so many OTPs. And yessss Jaune and Pyrrha... *sigh*_

 _I agree with you completely. As you can see in this chapter, Qrow is very calm. A little **too** calm. I think once the reality of the situation finally hits him he'll probably freak out-maybe when Winter starts showing. :P But I also think he will step up to the plate and that he'll be a really great dad. I'm glad you found the story and are enjoying it!_

 **Aquaticmammals:** _I knowwww... I'm so subtle, y'all. Soooo subtle._

 **Nina Vale:** _Pregnant? Whhhhatttt? How did you guess? In all seriousness though: yeah. Qrow is **definitely** the type to be super super protective. He is, after all, super protective of his nieces. I'm excited to write those scenes. **those** are gonna be fun!_

 **BMAN92:** _You have to forgive me now, right? :P Your hunch was correct!_

 **Thanks, all, for the great reviews! Another chapter soon to come, I hope!**

 **-annawrites**


	19. A Moment to Breathe

**Heyyyoooo! I've been meaning to post for DAYS! It's finals week everyone, save me.**

 **Anyways, here's this! Prepare yourself for some more oneshots (of different ships because I can't even) in the near future. I've had these ones written since like the summer but I haven't done anything with them sooooo... More to come on Qrowin. I have a crap ton of content, I just need to go through and organize that stuff and decide if it needs any editing (there are some things I'm not sure I like). Anyways! Enjoy this new chapter!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

The teens were all out for the day, so after reading the result of the test Winter and Qrow went downstairs to make tea and sit on the sofa, where Qrow kicked his feet up on the coffee table and Winter told him to stop scuffing up the furniture, so he put them back down. If there was one thing he remembered from when his sister was pregnant with Yang, it was that you don't argue with a pregnant woman.

"Are you alright?" Winter asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he murmured, still trying to process the information. He pulled out his flask and poured a "bit" of his drink into his tea. Winter had closed her eyes. He wondered how she was feeling, really feeling. He gently draped his arm around her shoulders. She smelled like mint, and lemon. He breathed in, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I love you, you know that?"

"I do," Winter laughed a little, looking up at him and kissing his chin. "I love you too."

"And we're gonna do this together." Winter was quiet for a moment, but she nodded.

"Don't get any ideas about running off because of your stupid 'bad luck.'" Winter narrowed her eyes. "If you were bad luck do you think this would be happening?"

"Some might consider this bad luck, you know. I don't think we ever meant to make a kid."

"I'm not going to look at it that way," Winter huffed. "We might as well stay positive, don't you think?"

"Hey, have you thought about what we're going to tell the kids?" Winter didn't respond. Qrow chuckled, "Guess that's a no. What about your dad?"

"I am _not_ telling my father."

"What do you mean?" Qrow frowned.

"I'm not telling him. He doesn't care about me, he doesn't need to know. And what about Tai, what are you going to tell _him_."

"I'm going to tell him I hit the jackpot, finally found the girl for me."

"Oh really?" Winter smiled.

"And when I tell him who it is, his jaw is going to hit the floor and he's going to tell me that I'm robbing the cradle."

"Well, you _are_ ," Winter laughed.

"Thanks for the support, Princess," Qrow rolled his eyes.

"Hey now," Winter sighed, resting her hand on his chest, and pulling him into a hug, "I'm glad you did. This is nice, a quiet morning. Just a moment to breathe after…. well… after knowing what's really going on." Qrow nodded, taking another swig of his alcohol-infused tea. It was only a few minutes later that the front door burst open and Nora skipped in, dragging Ren with her. Jaune followed closely behind, running his hands through his hair, and slouching a little.

"Victory!" Nora shouted, throwing her arms around Ren, "And all victories deserve celebratory PANCAKES!"

"Are you asking me to cook something, again?" Ren smiled.

"Mayyyybeeee! Jaune! Help me get the ingredients out!"

"How do you guys do it? I'm exhausted…" Jaune gasped, collapsing into a chair in the dining room. Winter sighed, pulling away from Qrow and leaning back against the sofa.

"I guess our moment to breathe is over."

"UNCLE QROWWWW!" Ruby bounded into to the room, pulling Oscar behind her. "Are you up for some training?" Qrow looked over at Winter, studying her silent expression. She offered him a small smile.

"I'll be alright," She shook her head, "You know me well enough that you should know that."

"Alright, kids, I'll meet you down there."

"Yes! Come on, Oscar!" Oscar looked wistfully over to where Ren and Nora were making pancakes, or more accurately Nora was chattering away while _Ren_ was making pancakes, before directing his attention to where Ruby disappeared downstairs, and following her closely.

Before Qrow could get up from where he sat with Winter Weiss came into the room and carefully sat down next to her sister on the other side. She looked worried, and pulled out her scroll.

"Winter? Have you checked your messages today?" Qrow glanced at his girl's younger sister curiously. No, he knew she hadn't. They hadn't really had time. The moment Weiss asked the question he felt Winter tense up next to him. She was still a workaholic, of course, and if she missed any messages from James…

"No, I haven't… What's wrong?"

"Father's messaged us both. He wants us to come home for Christmas."

"What…?" Winter narrowed her eyes.

"Well, that's shockingly sentimental for Jacques," Qrow frowned.

"When does it say he'd like us to come?"

"In the next few days," Weiss whispered. Winter was silent for a long moment. Qrow saw how pale she had become, and her hands were shaking.

"Win, are you alright?" He asked.

"Weiss, ignore it. I'll respond. We will be staying here, with our family for Christmas." She looked over to where Jaune finally stood to help Nora find the syrup, and then back up at Qrow with a smile.

Qrow shook his head, "Never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth, Ice Queen."

"We'll go _"home"_ for New Years," She nodded at her sister, "That should satisfy father. But I'm not going alone. Not this time. Qrow, you'll come with us." Qrow choked on the last gulp of his tea, spluttering and coughing into his arm.

"Wh-what?!"

Winter grinned, "It's time you met the rest of the family."

"Do you think that's wise?" Qrow knew Jacques Schnee didn't care for his daughters the way a father should, but he also knew that the Schnee Family name meant _everything_ to the man. He wouldn't care who Winter associated herself with if the family image wasn't on the line. Unfortunately, if the public found out that Winter Schnee, the eldest daughter of the prominent Jacques Schnee, was involved with a low-life, washed-up, deadbeat, drunk of a man Jacques would be furious. "Your father isn't going to be too happy about-"

"Have I ever told you how little I care about what my father thinks?" Winter said, and that was the end of the conversation. _This woman is going to be the death of me._

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Xornflakes:** _Aw! I'm so glad you like it! (Sorry the updates are irregular, school is murder), but I hope you enjoy this new chapter!_

 **BMAN92:** _Well, the cliffhanger has officially been resolved! But I bet you already guessed what the test was gonna say._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yes. Prepare for over-protective!dad!Qrow! Give him a few days to process. I don't think either of them will fully realize the reality of the situation for a little time._

 **Nina Vale:** _Yes. Proctective!Dad!Qrow Activate! those are going to be super fun chapters to write. Yeah, I think Ironwood would be perfectly okay with all of it and working with Winter and Qrow for a proper workload once he understands the entire situation. Ironwood's a reasonable guy. But Winter's a workaholic, in some ways, so... I think a lot of tension **will** come from that. Voila! I hope you enjoyed this one! _

**Galven:** _I knowwww! Poor Qrow. That's a really awful feeling, that fear of hurting the people you love. Winter is there to help him through it though._

 **Thank you for all the great reviews! I'll try to update soon! :D**


	20. Lucky Enough

**Guyssss! I'm sorry about this being later than I wanted, but finals. Guess who's free for Christmas breaaaakkkk?! :D**

 **So! Here's a new chapter. Did you all see the new Holiday RWBY chibi? "Nondescript Winter Holiday" I love it! I thought about changing all my "Christmases" into Winter Holiday, but going back and changing everything is just no thanks. Soooo... Not sure what I want to do about that. Eh. Whatever.**

 **Anywaysssss! Enjoy this little thing. I have more, probably in a couple of days.**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

A few days before the Winter Holiday, Winter woke and found, miraculously, that she wasn't feeling ill. She lay in bed, letting the cool light of a snow storm guide her hand across Qrow's bare back. She traced her fingertip over his many scars, danced her hand down his spine, and let her lips brush his neck. It was when he was asleep, like this, that she liked him best. He wasn't aggravating her, or teasing her, or drinking too much. He was at peace, his breathing even, and his eyes fluttering under his eyelids in a dream. She hoped it was a happy one.

It still felt weird, to hope that he was happy, to worry about his feelings and his hopes. It didn't feel natural, but she couldn't help herself anymore. She wanted what was best for him. She wanted him to be happy and to be safe, despite what her younger self would have thought. She remembered first meeting him. She had been so young, fresh out of academy and already accepting a position with James Ironwood's fleet. It had been a mission in Vale when he had shown up and gotten in the way in typical Qrow fashion. He had flirted with her up and down. She remembered how he had winked. Even then she knew that she shouldn't fall for his charm. Even then she knew he was the type of guy to flirt with every woman he met. Still, his attention made her young heart flutter.

And now, she couldn't even believe he was hers and she was his. That she was carrying his baby. That very sentence still made her head spin. She rolled over a little, resting her hand on her still-flat belly, and wondered how long it would take for that to change. She wondered what their child would be like? What color hair they'd have, and who's eyes they'd inherit. She wondered what their semblance would be. Would they get the hereditary Schnee glyphs? Or something entirely different? She imagined a toddler, with big blue eyes and dark brown curls. He had her nose and Qrow's mouth, Qrow's smile.

Beside her, Qrow stirred, but didn't wake. Winter rolled back over, pressing herself against his side, and wrapping an arm around his back. _We're having a baby._ She mouthed, pressing her nose to his temple. _A baby._

He let out a hoarse sigh, "Ice Queen, your nose is freezing."

"Good morning, Branwen." She smiled, sitting up. Qrow huffed, and rolled onto his back so he could look up at her.

"It's too early."

"It's not _that_ early."

"If the kids aren't up, it's too early." It _was_ awfully quiet downstairs.

"Ren's probably up." The past few days, when she woke up feeling so sick and had to rush the bathroom, she heard Ren cooking downstairs. A few times she bumped into him in the hall and she had been worried he might begin to suspect before they had the chance to tell everyone.

"That does not count." Qrow said, reaching for his flask on the bedside table.

"Qrow, it's eight in the morning," Winter said.

"And?" Qrow popped the cap and tipped the bottle back, but only a few drops came out. Winter rolled her eyes.

"You're going to make yourself sick."

"If there's one thing I know about myself, Princess, it's that I can handle my liquor." Winter shook her head, laying back down next to him and pulling him into her arms as well as she could. She pressed her cold nose to his neck.

"Schnee! Your nose is ice!" But he didn't try to pull away.

"It's what you love about me," She murmured. "I'm so cold, and you are very warm."

"Mmhmm… yeah, that _must_ be it."

Winter was quiet for a moment before she spoke again, "I was thinking that today we should talk about this."

"'This' meaning…?"

"The baby."

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for that."

"Qrow, I'm serious."

"Are you saying I'm not?" Qrow shrugged. Winter frowned, whispering,

"We've made the decision to raise this child together, yes? Or did I misunderstand you?"

"What-?" Qrow blinked, looking over at her with a frown. "Winter, we're doing this together, we agreed on that first thing. You know that."

"That's just the thing. We have a lot of things to work out, Qrow. I think—"

"I have an idea." Qrow said.

"What would that be," Winter frowned.

"You should move in with me."

"What? Qrow…"

"No, think about it." Qrow sat up, leaning closer towards her, "We could sneak away to bed whenever we damn well please and no one can judge." He leaned a little closer, his scent—pine and whiskey—made Winter dizzy with anticipation. He was so close, she could almost feel the brush of his lips against hers,

"Qrow-"

"No walking home in a rush, no hurrying to pick up clothes, just you and me… in _our_ bedroom… in _our_ bed… ravaging each other until we're so _sore_ we can't _breathe._ " Only a moment after the words left his mouth he leaned back against his pillow again, putting his hands behind his head in some sort of mock nonchalance. Winter's whole face was red, she could feel the heat in her cheeks, her heart was pounding. She glared at him.

"You're infuriating!"

"What? Me?" Qrow grinned, "Why would you say that?"

She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and swung her legs over the side of the bed, deciding that now was as good a time as any to get up.

"Where are you going?" Qrow frowned. "Don't go. It's so early."

"This is your fault," Winter glared, grabbing the clean clothes she had brought with her the night before. There was his stupid smile again. He was so full of himself.

"Oh, come on…" Qrow sat up, gently taking her hand in his before she could get dressed. "I'm being serious, Winter. Can't you imagine it? Living together? Wouldn't it be so much more convenient for both of us? I know it's a big step, and I know you'll have to… tell James. But, don't the pros outweigh the cons?" His expression was so strikingly genuine that Winter's heart melted. She sighed, shaking her head.

"You know I'll have to think about it." Then she laughed a little. "Did you ever think you'd be asking a woman to move in with you?"

"No," Qrow shrugged his shoulders, "Then again, I never thought I'd be _lucky enough_ to call you mine."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Xornflakes:** _Awww! I'm so glad you like this story! I hope you keep reading! I promise a lot more this winter break! :D_

 **BMAN92:** _Look, I can write pain, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to hurt this baby through Qrow's bad luck. Not in 1000 years. Qrow deserves happiness. I literally can't hurt him like that, there's too much pain. I know, I know: spoilers._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Qrow is definitely one to think the worst of any situation, but I'm sure, as we've seen in other chapters, that Winter will be able to help him. I think that's why they're perfect for one another. Still, I don't think I could ever hurt this baby through Qrow's bad luck. Though... I guess if I hurt this baby in any way Qrow would attribute it to his bad luck. Augh. Why am I talking about hurting babies?_

 **Nina Vale:** _Um yes. Jacques is an ass. But seriously, that New Years thing is going to be SO fun to write because Qrow is just going to be SO "don't touch her. Don't touch my child. Don't touch me. Five feet radius, at all times. I will break all of your limbs."_

 **Lins Fox:** _I'm so glad you like it! About the pregnancy test: yeah, I agree. Qrow would know. I think in the moment he was totally freaking out and completely senseless, as proven by his unbelievable calm. He'll be alright. :P_

 **RurielFrost:** _Omg I love you, please don't ever stop commenting. No, but seriously yes. The teacher chapters were my favorite to write and I'm so glad you like them and I definitely want to do more high school rom com chapters. lmao seriously, I never thought of a label for those, but this is great. high school rom com. I can't even. Thank you! Thank you!_

 **Lady Maeror:** _Yes! I love these two so much! I'm glad you do too! And I'm glad you like this fic! Thanks for reading! :D_

 **Thanks for all the reviews and thanks for reading!**

 **-anna**


	21. Dark Thoughts

At night Qrow snuck away after Winter fell asleep. It was his regular schedule. Lying awake in the darkness, touching her, it terrified him. His thoughts boiled and burned in his mind, pulling him down dark pathways of prediction. He had no idea how his semblance worked, but he felt more nervous about it when touching her than at any other time. Now that she was so often spending the night with him, he found that he was completely unable to sleep. So he would leave the room as soon as he was certain that she would not stir.

He didn't have to go far to feel better. He just had to be away from her. When he was close he had nightmares, terrible nightmares. He was so utterly lost about how to save her from himself it made him feel physically ill. He just wanted her… no, _them…_ he wanted _them_ to be safe. Both Winter and the child she carried—their child.

It was two days before Christmas when he dared to fall asleep again, in her arms. He dreamed he was standing in an open field. It felt warm and familiar. Winter was there, coming up the hill. He had never seen her look so happy, and he felt a warmth fill his heart that he once rarely let in. She was leaning over, and their daughter was gripping her hands. Their little girl, with her father's eyes and her mother's hair. She was so small, she must not have been older than one. Qrow knelt down, holding out his arms to her. Cautiously, she let go of her mother's hands and took a step forward, then another, and then she stumbled into her father's arms. They laughed together. Winter wrapped her arms around them both. Of course, all good things must come to an end. The dream became blurry after that. Something terrible happened. Grimm. He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember his daughter's face, but he remembered Winter's. She was terrified, terrified for the life of their child's. That was when Qrow realized he hadn't brought anything along to defend them. _What a misfortune. What bad luck._ There was so much after that, so much blood that Qrow was drowning, and he knew that it was theirs. It was Winter's blood. It was their daughter's blood. His lungs were filling with their blood. He was drowning… drowning in red… and all he could hear over the thick waves of death was the sound of their screams.

Qrow broke free from his nightmare with a shuddering breath, and looked over quickly to see that Winter was still sleeping peacefully. Everything was alright. They were fine. They were fine. He took a deep breath, his legs trembling, and climbed out of bed, pulling himself away from Winter's embrace. He felt nauseous. He could still taste blood in his mouth. He had to get out. He had to get away from her. Trembling he grabbed his flask, and quietly left the room. It was the only way to protect them from the monster that was his semblance. It was the only way to protect them from himself.

Winter woke sometime after midnight, but before sunrise. It must have been three or four in the morning, and for a quiet moment she couldn't figure out why she woke. Then she realized it was because she was cold. She was always cold when she was alone, she was just a very cold person in general. Qrow, on the other hand, was warm… so warm. She reached for him in the darkness of his bedroom, but found only empty space. It was way too early for him to be up already. She immediately knew something was wrong. She slipped out of bed, pulling on a thick wool sweater, and stepped outside into the dim glow of the hallway. Qrow was sitting at the top of the stairs, taking a swig from his flask. He was still in pajamas. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he was trembling.

"Qrow," she whispered, but in the silence her voice sounded as clear as day. He turned to look at her,

"You're supposed to be asleep, Ice Queen…" He seemed surprised.

"So are you," she countered, moving forward to kneel next to him. Qrow shook his head, evading the touch of her hand without a word. Winter frowned, "Branwen, you have to talk to me. I know something's wrong. What is it?"

"It's the only way, Winter," He murmured, looking down the stairs at the living room and kitchen below. "It's the only way I can think to protect you both."

"What do you mean?"

Qrow's voice remained steady as he replied, "I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again," he looked over at her in admiration, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes. "I… I have these terrible nightmares, and my thoughts just scream at me, Winter. They say 'Get out! What are you doing? Get out!'" He took a deep breath, looking down at his hands and his flask again. "'You're going to ruin it, Qrow Branwen. They're going to get hurt, they're going to _die_ because of you and your stupid semblance, and you can't stay away. You refuse to learn. You're putting them in danger.' I am… a walking disaster… a hurricane. This is the only way I can think to protect you. If I could just wish it away…" He raised his voice, clenching his hands into fists, "If I could just… wish it away, Winter… If I could trade my semblance for anything else! Anything!" She could see tears hanging onto his eyelashes. "I would do it in a fraction of a heartbeat, all just for you. I have never… I have never loved anyone the way I love you, Winter Schnee. You've loved a man who once thought it was an impossibility, who once thought that he could never be loved. I'm trying to save you, can't you see? I'm trying to save you from myself because I… am… misfortune. I am dread, doom… I am a walking disaster. Please… I don't want that disaster to catch up to you."

"Qrow, stop," Winter shook her head, and then pulled him into a tight embrace. He buried his face in her sweater, breathing heavily, perhaps struggling through tears. Winter just held him in silence for a long time before she spoke, "Has something happened to me at all since we've started this… thing we have?"

"No," He shook his head.

"Is this about the baby?"

"I… don't know…"

"This is going to be terrifying for both of us at first, Branwen," she whispered, "I'm not a… I don't know how to be a mother. I don't know how to… care for people like other people might."

"You're doing a pretty good job of it so far, Win," Qrow chuckled. Winter shook her head,

"What I mean to say is, we're all going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen to me, or our baby." Qrow was silent for a moment and then sighed.

"I can only hope you're right."

"I'll take it," Winter said, kissing his forehead. "For now, that's good enough for me. Won't you please come back to bed? It's freezing in there without you." Qrow offered Winter a grin.

"I can't say no to you," he sighed.

"Well, you certainly can't let us freeze to death," Winter said.

"My dear Winter and our unborn child? Never." Qrow stood, and Winter followed suit, "Somehow, I've found that I love you both far too much for that."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews**

 **FeugoFox42:** _Hehe! I don't think I'm ready to write adult Qrowin Kids yet, I need the adorable cuteness of Qrow and Winter and a toddler or two because thinking about that... I can't even handle it. When this kid is born at first Qrow is going to be so terrified, but he remembers when Yang and Ruby were little, and he loves this kid to death. I just can't handle it. It's too adorable._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yes! I need more too. I really would have liked to write more over winter break, but last week I was sooo busy getting ready for the holidays, and now here I am getting ready for school again and study abroad and all that. I have more chapters for you all, and I'm writing more now, it's just a matter of posting them! D: Anyways, yes! I am soooo excited to write the new years stuff because Jacques is an asshole and Qrow is just going to be pissed at him the whole time, though at this point in the story he doesn't know much about Jacques abusive control over his daughters (at least not the full story). Once he does... oh boy, he's gonna be pisseeedddd._

 **Nina Vale:** _Yes, and he's going to be even more domesticated once the baby comes. Oh man it's gonna be so cute! There will be a family announcement about the baby very soon._

 **Thanks all, for the reviews, and thanks for reading!**

 **-annawrites**


	22. Holiday Surprise

**Because you all are so brilliant and awesome here is another chapter. I have another one to post soon as well (I want to write as much as I can before I go back to school because I don't know how much time I'll have to write once I'm back in school-*screaming*)**

 **ANYWAYS. ENJOY! :D**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

The next morning mass preparations for the winter holiday were taking place. Ren and Nora were baking, Jaune, Ruby, and Oscar (who had forcefully been dragged into the process by a certain red-hooded girl) were decorating. Weiss had gone out shopping for a few last-minute ingredients. Qrow, despite the nightmares the night before, seemed to be doing much better. Maybe it was the alcohol, Winter was never quite sure. She was just helping Jaune in the living room with some pretty blue and white string lights when there was a knock on the front door.

"I'll get it," Winter nodded to Jaune, who sighed.

"Oscar, come help me with these lights."

"Have you even seen how short I am?" Oscar huffed.

Winter rolled her eyes and swung the door open to reveal a blond-haired man, about Qrow's age, and Ruby's sister… what was her name? Yang?

"Um…" She frowned.

"Oh! Winter Schnee! Sorry, we thought this was-"

"We're looking for my daughter," the man said, "Ruby Rose. We thought this was the place?"

"Oh," Winter looked the man up and down and then looked over her shoulder into the house. Qrow, seeing her distress from where he was lounging on the couch, (much to everyone's annoyance), stood and joined her at the doorway.

"Tai?! What the hell are you doing here? I told you I could take care of the kids!"

"Qrow! It's the winter Holidays!" the man said.

"Oh. Right," Qrow frowned, as if trying to remember something, and then shrugged. "Come in. Good to see you I guess." Winter and Qrow both stepped aside, and Tai and Yang moved into the living room. Yang threw her arms around her uncle, offering him a tight hug, just before Ruby noticed them both.

"Dad! Yang!" She hopped off the step stool, once again leaving Jaune to himself, and bounded over to her father and sister, throwing her arms around both of them. "What are you doing here?!"

"It's the holidays, Ruby! Of course we're coming to spend it with you and Uncle Qrow!" Yang laughed, "Besides, I've decided I _am_ ready to go back to school."

"What?! Yes!" Ruby laughed. "This is going to be the best Holiday ever!"

"Qrow, can I talk to you a second?" Winter sighed, and when she saw Yang and Tai looking at her with frowns she added, "About… um… work." Qrow shrugged his shoulders and Winter led him outside, where it was beginning to snow.

"What's wrong?" Qrow said, leaning against one of the pillars on the front porch.

"Your… brother-in-law is here. We were going to tell our group of kids about the baby tomorrow."

"And?" Qrow frowned.

"I thought you were concerned about telling Tai." Winter looked at her boyfriend with a tilt in her head.

"Um… no. I wasn't really. I know he'll tease me for… probably years, but I really could care less what he thinks. I'm yours, nothing's going to change that. Were you worried, Ice Queen?" Qrow let a crooked smile slip through his serious façade.

"I- worried?! About what?" She gasped.

"Don't worry. Tai and Yang will accept you just like everyone else has," Qrow gently pulled her close to him by her waist.

"I was not worried! How dare you… make assumptions! I-!"

"You were worried," He grinned, interrupting her rant with a quick kiss. "I know you too well, admit it."

"I will not be admitting anything," Winter glared.

"You're adorable when you're mad," Qrow laughed, pressing his lips to hers again, Winter couldn't help but melt into his kiss.

"What do you think they're doing?" Yang murmured, kneeling on the sofa in the living room, and peeking through the curtains. Ruby leaned on her shoulder.

"Probably making out!" She grinned.

"Ew." Yang frowned. "I don't believe it. Uncle Qrow and Winter Schnee? Yeah right."

"What do you mean, yeah right?" Jaune rolled his eyes, tacking another section of string lights to the wall, "We already told you, they've sort of been together for like… a while now. Don't know how long exactly, but-"

"They _are_ kissing!" Yang gasped. Jaune jumped, and almost fell off his step stool.

"I told you they would be," Ruby said.

"Damn! Uncle Qrow's got game!"

"Yang! Stop staring at them! They're gonna see you!"

"What are you two girls doing?" Tai said, coming around the corner.

"Nothing!" Yang threw the curtain back into place, offering her dad an innocent smile.

"Alright, come on you two!" Ruby laughed, pulling her sister up from where she was sitting by the window, and hugging her father tightly. "You have to come see what Ren and Nora are baking in the kitchen!"

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _I don't know if she'll ever be able to drag him to a therapist, but if this continues she might try. :P_

 **Galven:** _No, we haven't confirmed if it's a boy or girl yet. Winter's only a couple months along... she wouldn't even be showing yet. Both Qrow and Winter have imagined what their child might be like. Winter imagined she would have a little boy and Qrow, in his dream, imagined a girl. :) I haven't even decided what they'll have yet._

 **Aquaticmammals:** _I think that's the key, is he needs to realize that their love for each other is extremely important. It's different than anything he's ever experienced before, and of course his immediate inclination is "protect" but his way of protecting people is distance, and distance just isn't going to work for this situation. So yes, he needs to figure that out before he loses her and his child._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Thank you! It's going to be crazy, but it's going to be fun. Yes, I'm so excited for full on Protective!Qrow. :D It's going to be so fun to write. I think you're right in mentioning how good Qrow is at interacting with his nieces. I think Winter's going to have to remind him of that every once in a while._

 **BMAN92:** _I'm so glad you're enjoying it! You know, I hadn't really thought about it. I really haven't planned this story out, I'm just going with the flow (which is what I usually do when writing), but now that you mention it a time skip here and there might be beneficial. I'll have to plan a bit more ahead._

 **Thanks all for your awesome reviews and thanks for reading! :D**

 **-annawrites**


	23. Happy Holidays

When Winter woke up the next morning there was a message on her scroll from James Ironwood, requesting her presence on base. It was early, the sun was just rising. Tai was already up, she could hear him making coffee downstairs. She managed to pull herself out of Qrow's crushing embrace without stirring him awake, and she found her uniform in his closet. He may as well have gotten his wish. Though they hadn't really talked about it since he first asked, Winter _felt_ like she lived there. She brushed her hair, and pulled it into a neat bun at the back of her head and buttoned up her uniform before pulling on her boots.

When she got downstairs Tai gave her a funny look. When Winter and Qrow had told him that they were together he had accepted her into the family with a smile, but the teasing was _endless._ Poor Qrow couldn't get a break, but even Winter couldn't keep a straight face when Tai began making jokes. They were bad, _bad_ jokes, but they were bad enough to make her smile.

"Where are you going so early?" Tai asked, "It's the first day of the Winter Holidays!"

"I have to go on base today," Winter said with a huff. "The general just called me in."

"That's ridiculous," Tai said, "it's the Winter Holidays, a time for family! Did you tell Qrow?"

"No, I didn't wake him. I know he'd disagree, but not because of the holidays. I'm pretty sure Qrow doesn't care that it's the holidays, he just wouldn't want me listening to my superiors because he thinks it's funny."

"So you're going in? You don't think you deserve a day of rest?"

"You're forgetting, Tai, that you're talking to a Schnee." Qrow was standing at the bottom of the stairs, leaning over the railing, holding his flask in one hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Winter glared.

"It means, you love work too much. Just like old dad," Qrow stepped down from the stairs, and took a swig from his flask.

Winter gritted her teeth, "How _dare_ you compare me to my father. That man is a cruel…"

"You better go, Ice Queen, or else you'll be late. And what would Jimmy think then?" Qrow said. Winter offered him one last glare before leaving the house, and slamming the door behind her.

Upon reaching the base, Winter was summoned to Ironwood's office for a meeting of some kind. James was describing some sort of scouting mission a few of their men had been sent on. Something about the White Fang, and grimm. Winter wasn't really listening.

"Schnee, are you alright? Usually you're very vocal when it comes to missions like this." Winter was silent for a long moment. She thought of Tai, and she thought of Qrow. She thought of what he had said. She thought about the little life she was growing within her, how one day she would meet that little life, how she wouldn't be like her father… she couldn't ever be like her father.

"Sir? I have… something to declare," Winter murmured, slowly looking up at her superior with a sigh.

"What would that be?"

"It's the Winter Holidays, sir. I'd like to go home." James raised an eyebrow, glancing over her curiously.

"You've never objected to working on holidays before. What's different about this year? Your sister?"

"That leads me to something else I'd like to declare," Winter looked him straight in the eye this time, taking a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." There was a long pause before James answered,

"I… see." He paced for a moment and then sat down at his desk, "I will… have to put this on record Schnee, you know the rules. After you reach a certain point in this pregnancy you…"

"I can't work. I know."

"Alright. How far along-?"

"I have something else I need to declare," Winter said, interrupting him.

"Another thing?"

"I'm in a relationship. I _have_ been in a relationship, and I'm sorry I was keeping it hidden from the records."

"Winter…"

"It's Qrow Branwen, sir."

"I know."

"W-what? How…?"

"Winter, I've known that lunatic had eyes on you since the moment the two of you first met. You think I've forgotten all the fights you've had? Even through that it was easy to see that _somehow_ you admired him. It wasn't hard to guess when you two finally got together." Ironwood sighed. "Someone was saying you two were kicking each other's office chairs?" Winter's whole face turned red. "I could have updated your status by myself, practically. I'm glad you decided to tell me the truth." He paused, "Pregnant though… _That's_ something I hadn't guessed."

"I hope you won't keep me from doing my job, sir."

"Of course not. Your _boyfriend_ on the other hand…Just keep him away from your work." James chuckled with a shake of his head, "You better get back to him, Winter."

"Of course."

"Happy Holidays."

"And to you too, Sir."

* * *

When Winter got back to the house, Qrow was sprawled across the sofa, looking rather perturbed. When she slipped inside and carefully took off her boots by the door, he sat up.

"Win? You were only gone for a half an hour."

"You should have been there," Winter said, offering him a small smile, "I told him off. I said he shouldn't ask us to come in on Christmas like that." Qrow's eyes widened.

" _You_ told James Ironwood off?"

"I also made several declarations."

"Stop… it's too much." Qrow gasped, "Winter Schnee, telling James Ironwood that he's wrong."

"I told him that I'm in love with you," Winter said, wrapping her arms around him. Qrow sighed, leaning in to kiss her neck. "What are you doing?"

"You told Jimmy off, Winter, that's pretty much the sexiest thing you've ever done." Winter rolled her eyes.

"If that's the case then your present from me is really going to blow your mind."

"IT'S THE HOLIDAYSSSS!" Nora screamed from the top of the stairs.

"Qrow, you're going to scandalize the children." Qrow pulled away, grinning from ear to ear.

"This calls for a drink." Qrow turned to face Tai, who was (thankfully) minding his own business in the kitchen. "Hey, Tai, is there some sort of alcoholic beverage in there?"

"Qrow, you live with five teenagers, what do you think?"

"IT'S THE HOLIDAYSSSS!" Nora came sliding downstairs on the bannister, and she pranced into the living room, throwing her arms around Winter. "Happy Holidays!"

"Um… Happy Holidays." Winter smiled a little. Nora threw her hands up in the air, jumping away from Winter.

"EVERYONE WAKE UP! THERE'S PRESENTS!"

"Hey, Ice Queen," Qrow was standing in the kitchen, holding up a wine glass. "You want some?"

"Qrow." Winter gestured to her belly with a pointed glare.

"Oh right. How about some water?"

"Please."

"Alright, who wants some hot cocoa, before we open gifts?" Tai said, as bleary-eyed teens made their way down the stairs.

"Ooh! I do!" Nora jumped excitedly, and then dashed over to the cupboard to grab a mug. "Who else?"

All the teens agreed on sipping on Hot Cocoa before gift-giving. Qrow handed Winter her glass of water and then the clinked glasses together, his filled with wine, in a toast to her confidence. Their smiles, still hiding their secret ended in one kiss before Ruby gasped,

"Well! Are we opening presents or not?!" The make-shift family meandered their way into the living room where a pile of wrapped gifts stood haphazardly near the fireplace and across the coffee table.

"This is the BEST!" Nora dashed over to the fireplace, grabbing the first gift, "Can I pass them out? I'll pass them out!" She quickly handed the gift to Jaune, who looked rather overwhelmed.

"Slow down, now," Tai laughed. "Let's all sit down and enjoy it together."

Gift giving went by quickly. Just as the teens were oohing and ah-ing over their new things Winter decided something, in the same way she had decided something when she was standing in front of Ironwood that morning.

"Everyone, Qrow and I have an announcement."

"We do?" Qrow had finished his glass of celebratory wine a while ago, and had his flask in hand again. Everyone's eyes were now trained on Winter, she nodded firmly,

"Of course, we do. I think it's about time everyone knows." Qrow sighed, and took another swig from his flask.

"I suppose they'd find out one way or another."

"What is it?" Ruby looked curiously between her Uncle and Winter.

"Well, it's just that… Qrow and I…"

"ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED?!" Nora gasped, pressing her hands against her cheeks with a bright grin.

"I-!" Winter's cheeks grew hot and when she looked over at Qrow she saw his whole face turned deep red. "N-no. No, that's not it." Qrow seemed unable to speak, so Winter held her head up, and confidently said, "We found out that I'm pregnant." All the teens remained silent, mouths agape, staring at the two of them. Tai spit out his coffee across the coffee table and discarded wrapping paper.

"WHAT?!"

"Really?!" Ruby squealed, jumping up from where she was sitting with Oscar and throwing her arms around her uncle and Winter. "I'm going to have a cousin?!"

In the next couple of seconds the entire living room was filled with shouting. Yang jumped over the coffee table and joined her sister in embracing the couple. Tai was the only one who was still silently staring in shock, his jaw hanging open. The sudden emotion that filled Winter was a mix of relief and joy. She realized, in that moment, that she had admitted it to herself and that made it even more real, and in the next moment Qrow was pulling his nieces into a tight hug.

"Yes. You're going to be cousins!" The smile on his face warmed Winter's heart. Tai suddenly spluttered,

"I don't believe it. I never imagined…"

"You better believe it!" Nora jumped up from her seat. "These two love birds are going to raise a family!"

The word struck Winter as oddly simple, but at the same time it sounded so perfect—exactly what they had both been looking for.

"You're finally going to be the uncle, Tai," Qrow chuckled. The tall man had leaned back in the sofa, took another swig of his drink before pulling Winter against his side gently and kissing her jaw. Those words brought Tai back to reality. A small smile pulled at his lips.

"An uncle… that's nice," Then he seemed to wake up completely, "Congratulations, you two!"

"Thank you." Winter nodded. Qrow grinned, kissing her neck and then resting his forehead against her temple.

"Now we just have to survive New Years with your father." Despite the warmth of his arms around her, the smiles of her family around her, and the happiness making her heart flutter, Winter involuntarily shivered.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Galven:** _A boy would be super cutteee! I really haven't decided yet. It's so hard for me to choose. I might just do a random dice roll or something lol._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _They do balance each other out wonderfully. I love them. 3_

 **Nina Vale:** _You are perfectly correct about Yang... I think watching the fifth volume has changed some things in my understanding of where everyone is, and somehow halfway through writing I changed it so Yang was back home. I'll fix it so it works. She was supposed to be home, not in Mistral._

 **Richard1081:** _Can you imagine though how insane that would be? :P Maybe I'll roll dice for how many as well... Omg Winter and Qrow would both be like "are you kidding? How are we gonna do this?"_

 **Gunnrdgr8:** _I'm tryinggggg... I feel you though. It's so hard to wait. :)_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Bless you! I'm so glad you like this story (Qrow and Winter are literally my favorite). I also kinda ship Oscar and Ruby, and despite the fact that I'm not short I appreciate Oscars shortness because yes._

 **Vocalpainter:** _Happy New Year to You too! Dove is a pretty name. I'm not sure. I'll have to think really hard about it. Names are so important to me as a writer, but it also seems that names are very, very important in the RWBY universe, so I think that works out perfectly. I don't know if it will be a girl or a boy. I can't decide. I think I'm literally just going to use random dice rolls to decide for me!_

 **Thank you, all, for reading and leaving awesome reviews! Happy New Year!**

 **-annawrites**


	24. A Schnee Reunion

**Hello again! (I'm rewatching season one and two of RWBY because I've just introduced my friend to it! :D )**

 **I'm not sure if I liked how this chapter turned out, but... I guess we'll see what you think!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

Qrow wasn't usually a person who went to parties, and certainly not ones like this. The Schnees had a ballroom, for god's sake. Who actually had a ballroom in their house? It was almost preposterous. Winter had made him wear a suit, which he despised. It felt like his tie was trying to choke him. But the moment he had pulled on his dress jacket she had offered him one of her beautiful, brilliant smiles, and so he suffered voluntarily. He would do anything to see that smile every hour of every day and every minute of every hour.

"You look very nice," She said, adjusting his tie. Her fingers brushed against his neck as she straightened his collar.

"I love you." He hadn't meant to spit those words out, but they seemed to be the only ones he was capable of saying. He remembered her momentary surprise, and then the smile that came seconds after.

"I love you too, Branwen."

Now he stood at the entrance of the Schnee house, arm and arm with the mother of his child. Weiss was standing only a few paces ahead of them. She turned back to look at her sister with a deep breath. There were others already arriving for the celebration.

"Are you ready?" Winter said, offering her sister a small smile. Weiss nodded after a moments hesitation, and then she stepped up to the doors of the house and was welcomed in by the hired help. Qrow and Winter followed closely behind. The first thought Qrow had was that the entry hall was big enough to have a part in. He couldn't imagine how large the ballroom was. There were people here, in the hall, to take their coats. Qrow could feel Winter's fingernails digging into his arm as they made their way to the large double doors that Qrow could only assume led into the ballroom.

Weiss paused before the doors, squaring her shoulders, taking a deep breath, and standing tall before pushing the doors opening and entering the ballroom with her sister and Qrow right behind her. Qrow noted that there were a few strangers already in the ballroom, around the table with delicacies and champagne, or dancing to the music that came from the string quartet in the corner. There was a moment of peace, one second that Qrow thought he might possible survive this party, before Jacques Schnee and his youngest child, Whitley, began making their way towards them from where they had been chatting with an older couple by the champagne. Winter's hands held a death grip on Qrow's arm, and Qrow could visibly see Weiss tense.

"Ah. My daughters finally deem to grace us with their presence," Jacques murmured, grasping Weiss' shoulder. Qrow gritted his teeth when he saw the old mans' knuckles turn white as his grip tightened.

"Hello, Father," Weis murmured weakly. She didn't look up a Jacques even once, her gaze remained on the floor. Winter was clutching Qrow's arm like it was her life line. She managed to square her shoulders and address her father confidently.

"It's good to see nothing has changed," she said firmly, still clinging to her partner. Qrow was tense now. He knew that Jacques was an asshole, but the way his daughters were acting was indicative of something else, something worse. Jacques narrowed his eyes, glancing up and down at Qrow.

"And pray tell, what in the world is Qrow Branwen doing here? I don't typically make it a habit to invite drunkards to my parties." Qrow narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond Winter spoke up.

"I invited him. He's _my_ guest." Whitley, Winter's younger brother, snickered.

"Since when have you voluntarily touched a Branwen, sister?" Winter's entire demeanor changed. Qrow could see the fear instant vanish and it was quickly overtaken by fury.

"Your sister has always had a certain disposition, my son," Jacques shrugged his shoulders, "Attracted to brokenness. Or maybe she attracts brokenness. Perhaps _both._ Like a magnet."

"Hey now," Qrow narrowed his eyes, as much as in some ways he agreed with Jacques (he knew he was a broken, broken man), he didn't like the way the man was talking to his daughters. At all. But, before Qrow could say anything else, Winter wrapped an arm around him and glared at her father defiantly.

"You may call it brokenness, father, but I see so much more-!"

"Winter, dear, I invited you and your sister here. Not a washed-up huntsman."

"Quit saying terrible things like that!" Winter gasped. Jacques was silent for a moment, his eyes flickering back and forth between Qrow and Winter and the way Winter held onto Qrow.

"Let's not make a scene," He murmured. "Come with me to my office." Then he spun on his heel and made his way across the ballroom.

"Are we…?" Qrow narrowed his eyes, looking over at where Whitley was following Winter, taunting her about something. "Are we supposed to follow him?" Winter looked unsure, pale, and almost like she had seen a ghost. "Win?" Qrow gently grasped her shoulders, "Are you alright?" She blinked and their eyes met.

"I… I'm fine. This wasn't how I imagined it would go. I'm so sorry, Qrow, my father…"

"Listen," He rested his forehead against hers, "It's alright, Winter. It's going to be alright." She took a deep shuddering breath,

"I know. I know. As long as you're here," she clutched his suit jacket tightly, "it'll be alright."

"Come on. I guess 'dad' wants to have a chat." Qrow entwined his fingers with hers and together they followed Jacques down the hall to his office.

Jacques Schnee was already sitting at his chair behind his desk. He was reading something when they came in, and before Qrow could register what it said Jacques swept it away.

"Winter," her father stood up slowly, crossing his arms. "You should know as well as anyone here that the Schnee name means everything. And because of that, you should know how it is important you carry yourself and present yourself in a certain manner." Winter narrowed her eyes, and let go of Qrow's arm.

"I know how you would _like_ me to carry myself," She snapped, "And I have-!"

"Silence!" Jacques snapped, "I didn't ask you to speak."

"I don't need _your_ permission to speak! I never will!" Winter snarled. "I came here today because _I_ believe in family. It's obvious that you _haven't_ changed. Family means nothing to you!"

"Family is _everything_ to me!" Jacques shouted.

"This _company_ is everything to you!" Qrow took a step back, trying to process what was going on, but also trying to give Winter her space. He knew she was completely capable of breaking Jacques' legs if she really wanted to… "You never cared about us! If we had dreams that went beyond this house you'd beat them out of us! I have the bruises to prove-!" Before she could finish, Jacques swung his hand across her face with all his might and she fell back, clutching her cheek. Qrow was suddenly filled with an indescribable fury, and he stepped in front of Winter, grabbing Jacques arm before he could smack her once more.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her," he snarled.

"Get your hand off me," Jacques yanked his wrist out of Qrow's grip and took a step away from him, "You aren't a part of this house, this family—"

"Yes, he is…" Winter whispered, standing up straight again. "If Qrow isn't a Schnee than neither are you. Hypocrite… didn't you become a Schnee through marriage?"

"What…" Jacques eyed Qrow carefully before taking a commanding step forward, "What in the world are you implying, Winter?" There was a hint of warning in his voice, a voice dripping with anger.

"Qrow is my husband," she said, and Qrow had to hold his breath in order to keep his face straight.

"What?" The way Jacques said the word gave it an entire three extra syllables, his eyes, though a cool blue, were blazing with fury. Winter involuntarily took a step back, stammering over her next words.

"You no longer have power over me… I'll be telling everyone! Everyone! Even General Ironwood knows now.. Q-qrow and I…"

"If you… tell anyone about this _unsuitable_ arrangement… I will make the rest of your days _miserable._ "

Before Jacques could advance any farther Qrow grabbed his shoulder in a tight hold, his knuckles turning white,

"Listen here, mustache," He whispered, keeping his voice as even as possible, "If you even lay a finger on my _wife_ … I will _kill_ you." After a moment, Qrow shoved Jacques back against his desk, "And I'll make it nice and slow… just for you."

"Come on, Qrow…" Winter whispered, grabbing his arm. "Qrow…" Qrow slammed his fist into Jacques stomach.

"That's for Winter and Weiss… asshole."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yesss! Fluff overload should really be part of this story's description... and then there's chapters like this one. Weiss should have been in the last one for the Holidays... not sure why I didn't have a stronger reaction from her... I guess I'm so much more focused on Qrow and Winter... I'll try and fix that for later chapters!_

 **BMAN92:** _Aw man! I'm so glad you like this story! :) Thank you thank you for reading!_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _I'm ssoooo glad that you mentioned the characters, and that they're going well. I'm always worried about portraying characters wrong, so I'm glad it's working out okay! :) I hope this chapter worked well too, I'm not quite sure about it._

 **Nina Vale:** _Yes! Weiss and Yang and Ruby are going to be all excited to help with their little niece/nephew and cousin! (Boy is that confusing). I can't wait to get there with all of you, it's gonna be fun to write. I should correct myself: this is **always** fun to write! _

**SemblanceOfInvisiblity:** _Okay but seriously, I lovvveeee love love James and Glynda so much and yes I definitely want them to be in this at some point. James really is important to Winter, I think, even though she really is very professional with him. So, yes, I think I would love to have more of James and I would love to have Glynda and definitely Glynda and James because yessssss. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story!_

 **bwburke94:** _Truee... I'm really not sure what I would use, like I said. I don't even know what gender or anything. :) So, we'll find out as we get later into it._

 **Stepnoski19:** _Yayyyy! More supporters of Qrowin! :D Yes! I also can't wait to figure out what they're amazing kid is going to be like. It's all a part of the whole figuring it out as I go. I'm so glad you like the story! Thanks for reading!_

 **Vocalpainter:** _Good point... Though thinking about the kid's semblance is thinking a little too far ahead lol! I'll get there at some point, I think._

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _awww! I'm sooo glad you love it! :D_

 **You are all amazing! Thanks for reading and for leaving awesome reviews! See you in the next chapter! :DDD**

 **-annawrites**

 **(PS THAT LAST EPISODE THOUGH. I'M WAITING FOR SATURDAY -IVE SEEN SPOILERS THANKS TO TUMBLR BUT I'M STILL WAITING. SOMEONE SAVE HER GOD DAMN-)**


	25. A Happy New Year After All

**I have no idea what the heck I'm writing but it seems that y'all are enjoying it so here's some more!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

The moment they had escaped the front doors of the Schnee house, Winter stopped walking, her arm wrapped protectively around her sister's shoulders. Qrow was shoving off the arms of Jacques' hired muscle.

"I said, I can find the exit, thank you!" He snapped, adjusting his dress coat before moving down the enormous steps to Winter and Weiss. He quickly rested his hands on his partner's shoulders,

"Are you alright?" She nodded in response. She could feel a bruise forming where her father's ring had hit her cheekbone, but she didn't want him to be worried. She could already see the stress in his eyes, and his hands were trembling even though they gripped her shoulders tightly. "I'm so, so sorry, Winter." He pulled her into a quick hug, and then to both her and Weiss' surprise he pulled Weiss into a group hug. Then he looked down at their clothes and sighed, "Well… we're all dressed up, we might as well enjoy it. Come on, I know a guy…"

"Please tell me that sentence ends well," Weiss sighed.

"I know a guy who owns a nice restaurant, neat place… a little too fancy for my taste, but… you both deserve a happy New Years, okay?" Winter smiled, kissing him quickly on the cheek.

"I love you," she said, holding onto his shoulder tightly.

"You're both exasperating," Weiss rolled her eyes, "But… that sounds nice." Winter noticed a small smile on her sister's lips and she nodded,

"Let's go then."

When Qrow had said "fancy" Winter had expected something more average. After all, most of the "restaurants" he went to were bars or taverns. She was happy to be pleasantly surprised. Qrow's friend owned a very high-end restaurant in the nice part of town. It even had a dress code. Qrow's friend was more than happy to offer them a table, even though most of the restaurant was filled.

"What do you think?" Qrow grinned, gesturing as they sat down at their table.

"It's perfect!" Weiss said, and Winter knew that was high praise from her sister, especially about Qrow.

"Happy New Year!" Qrow shrugged, he glanced over at Winter and frowned for a moment, gently resting his hand against her cheek, "What…" When she turned her head and he saw the dark bruise forming on her other cheek Winter watched his eyes go wide with anger. "You have a mark," he whispered. She shook her head.

"It's nothing. You know I've had worse."

"Your father's an asshole," he hissed.

"It's alright," she quickly took his hand in hers and shook her head, "It's over. It doesn't matter." He seemed like he wanted to protest, but after a moment she watched his shoulders relax and he sighed.

"We're never visiting that man again," Qrow murmured, before asking the waiter if they had some sort of sparkling water or cider for the ladies. "Ruby's mom, Summer…" He hesitated before continuing, "She always used to toast to the New Year with sparkling Cider. She always said that it wasn't a good New Years toast without sparkling drinks. Tai bought into, of course. Me-?"

"Let me guess," Winter smiled, "More of a hard liquor kind of guy."

"You know me too well."

It wasn't long before most of the diners had left the building, having somewhere else to go to celebrate the count down to a new year. A few stragglers remained, including Winter and her little family. Qrow raised his glass of amber liquid, some sort of whiskey,

"A toast to both of you," He said, smiling at the sisters, "And to a Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Branwen," Winter smiled, standing up. Her sister followed suit, and Qrow stood slowly with a nod. They clinked glasses. Qrow downed his, both Winter and Weiss took a sip. Then the glasses were set down and the countdown began. Qrow pulled Winter into a hug and she rested her forehead on his shoulder as realization hit her.

"Qrow?"

"Ten…! Nine…!"

"Hmm?"

"I want to spend every new year of the rest of my life with you," She whispered.

"Eight…! Seven…!"

They're eyes met, and Winter watched as his expression changed from confusion to joy in only a moment. "I want the same thing," he said, almost as if he were surprised by it.

"Six…! Five…!" They were silent for a moment, taking in the very idea they had just proposed to one another. Moving in together… or something more…?

"Four…! Three…!"

"Winter, I love you," Qrow's expression had changed to firm resolve.

"Two…!"

"Will you marry me?" He whispered.

"One…!"

Winter grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Happy New Year!" Accompanied with the shout was an explosion of sounds, but she hardly heard them, she was melting in his embrace. When they pulled apart she could hardly breathe, but somehow she managed to gasp out,

"Yes! … Yes!" And Qrow laughed, and kissed her again. When they pulled away they found Weiss watching them with a semi-disapproving frown.

"Um… Weiss…"

"Did you _really_ just propose to my sister during the New Year countdown?" She huffed.

"Well…" Before Qrow could finish Weiss looked at her sister,

"I know he makes you happy," she said, and somehow, mid-sentence, her frown melted into a smile, "so I'm happy." She threw her arms around Winter with a sigh, Winter looked over her sister's shoulder at her fiancé with a grin. Dear lord, what would her former self say if she saw them now?

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _Haha, true. Very true. Jacques deserves everything Qrow hit him with and more. Raven would 100% help. Behind that ridiculously angry exterior is a girl, somewhere, that misses and loves her family._

 **FeugoFox42:** _It's hard for me to decide how to play it, honestly. It's kind of a cross between Winter being somewhat afraid of her father (because of the abuse) or over it and just freaking pissed. I think I wrote it for both. You can tell that with Qrow there for emotional support she was ready to face her dad, but then the asshole slaps her in the face and she just recoils in fear. So... I don't know how she would react to being given the opportunity to kick her dad's ass._

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yes! True love conquers all! That was a fun scene to write because when Winter lies and tells her dad that they're married I think it really makes Qrow realize how much he actually wants to be married to her. :) Hence, this chapter._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _I'm glad to hear that the chapter ending worked out alright! I wasn't quite sure, (when am I ever?) Yeah, I hate Jacques too. He's such an abusive, controlling ass. It'd be to my absolute joy to see either Qrow or James beat the shit out of him. (Actually I'm a complete sucker for having awesome protagonists destroying asshole antagonists by like ruining them and their fortunes rather than beating the shit out of them: "Ah yes, now everyone knows what a sick and twisted piece of garbage you are, jacques. Have fun with the press.")_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Yayyy! Character portrayal accomplished! Honestly, I was really torn about how much I wanted Qrow to beat on Mr. Asshat, but I ended up with this one because I figured Jacques would have hired security and Qrow wouldn't get very far anyways. There may be another meeting in their future. (Though I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Branwen will avoid the Schnee household like the plague)._

 **BMAN92:** _#IVoted2018 #Qrow'sfistandprotectiverage2018_

 **Vocalpainter:** _Protective!Dad!Qrow It's like Protective!Uncle Qrow but multiplied by 5000!_

 **Thank you all for the awesome reviews and thanks for reading! :D**

 **See you next time!**

 **-annawrites**


	26. Fragile

**Wow, somehow I've managed to write a few chapters. It's only the third week of the quarter (I guess I'm trying to stockpile chapters before things explode into insanity... I love school, what are you talking about?) So here's this lovely thing. Have fun.**

 **(I suddenly realized that we were missing DRAMA. I hate drama.** **Why do I do this to myself?** **)**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

The journey home, from Atlas to Mistral, was supposed to be uneventful. It was a pretty standard flight, hitching a ride with one of Jimmy's cargo ships, thanks to Winter's military rank. They sat just beyond the cockpit, among boxes of weapons or robot parts or something equally unimportant. Weiss was sitting across from them, legs dangling off one of the largest boxes. She was fiddling with the lace on her dress, checking her scroll every so often. Winter was mostly silent. She was leaning against him, head resting against his chest, arms wrapped around him. He wondered, once and a while, if she had fallen asleep, she was so still. Then she'd say something, about the wedding, about his proposal.

"I thought I'd be the one to propose," she whispered, about an hour into their flight. "Actually, I thought that if I'd ever want to get married to you, I'd have to drag you to the ceremony." Qrow laughed,

"You're telling me you wanted to get married before last night?"

"I… I'm saying that I've thought about it. What girl hasn't?"

"What girl hasn't thought about marrying me?"

"No, Branwen, what girl hasn't thought about marriage," Winter glared.

"So, when was the first time you thought about marrying me?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that question?" Winter sighed.

"Come onnn… tell me," He grinned. Winter was quiet for a moment and then she sighed again,

"Do you remember, back in Mistral, when we first started to really get along?"

"Of course, mostly," he nodded.

"Do you remember sitting in the meadow, outside of the city?"

"Yeah, we did that a lot," he nodded.

"Do you remember the lullaby?" Qrow froze, thinking back to when he sang that lullaby for her, and he felt his cheeks grow warm. Weiss was listening in with interest now, her legs were no longer kicking back and forth, she was watching them both closely.

"Yes, I do."

Winter gently pulled away from his embrace, but entwined her fingers with his and whispered, "I remember you singing… it was one of the most incredible and sweetest things I'd ever heard. I told you you'd be a good dad, because I believed it, more than anything. It's so strange, because… well… in that moment I imagined being with you, having a child with you. I imagined being a family, with you."

"Really?" He tried to hide his smile, "We hadn't even ever kissed yet."

"Qrow Branwen, haven't I ever told you that I've had a crush on you from the very first moment we met?" Qrow laughed,

"Is that so? You're something else, Ice Queen."

"Well, that makes two of you…" Weiss sighed, "To set things straight, I want you both to know that I _never_ imagined—" The entire ship shook before Weiss could finish. Some loud alarm was blaring in the cockpit.

"What-?" The ship shuddered again, and there was the sensation of losing altitude. Qrow jumped down from his perch on one of the boxes, leaving Winter and Weiss for a moment, and slipping into the cockpit.

"What's happening?" He asked. The two pilots were tapping at buttons and pulling at levers, trying to steady the ship.

"One of the engines has blown!" The co-pilot shouted.

"What?! How?"

"I have no idea! It was fine when we left! We did _all_ the routine checks…"

"Is it possible there's another vessel, or grimm, or…"

"There's nothing else on the radar, sir, we're completely alone up here. That engine just blew," The co-pilot, tapped in a code quickly.

"Radio open."

"Look, right now, until we can make a full examination of the ship, we can only chalk this up to bad luck. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a distress call to make. You all are going to want to hold on, because we're going to have to try and make an emergency landing." Qrow wasn't listening anymore. He stumbled out of the cockpit, angrily kicking at a crate.

"What's wrong?" Winter gasped, "What's happening?"

"We're losing altitude, fast!" Weiss murmured.

"One of the engines blew," Qrow hissed, " _Bad Luck._ "

"Qrow," Winter grabbed his shoulder, clinging to it tightly, "It's bad luck that had _nothing_ to do with you."

"I don't think that's possible—" There was another shudder.

"The other engine's gone!" One of the pilots shouted, "Hold on!" Winter and Weiss both grabbed on to the ropes that held some of the smaller boxes secured. Qrow, with one arm wrapped around his fiancée, clung onto the ropes as well.

"It's going to be alright," Winter whispered, "It's going to be alright." Qrow was not convinced at all. He prayed to whoever would listen that they would take him and not his child, and not the woman he loved more than anything. _Take me instead._

Their descent was growing more and more dangerous. Some of the larger crates slid around the floor, or off of their perches on the biggest boxes. One fell, slamming it's sharp corner into Qrow's shoulder, making him grit his teeth and choke on a cry of pain. Winter rested her head against his shoulder, "Qrow, listen, I…"

"It's going to be alright," He whispered, more boxes were beginning to jump around the small cargo hold. Why weren't they tied down?

"No, please, listen," Winter begged, "I love you, okay? Don't ever forget that. I love every piece of you, all the scars, all the parts you think are broken… to me, you're perfect. I'll always adore you." He could feel her breath on his jaw, he could almost feel her heartbeat. It was too fast. Everything was happening too fast.

Then they hit the water and several things happened at once. Qrow was yanked away from Winter by the force of the hit, and pinned against the back wall by a couple incredibly heavy boxes. He felt several of his ribs crack, a pain that he had experienced before, and the blood he began to cough up told him that his lungs weren't too happy with the hit either. Weiss remained relatively unharmed, but from where Qrow was pinned he couldn't see Winter, and he began to panic, especially when he realized that the air craft was slowly filling with water.

"Weiss! Where's your sister?" Somehow, he managed to slowly heave the first box off his chest, he heard Weiss splash through the water to another corner of the cargo hold that he couldn't see.

"Are you three okay?!" The pilot dashed out from the cockpit, splashing through the quickly filling craft. When he saw Qrow he helped him heave the last box off his body. The moment Qrow was free he was at his fiancée's side. Winter's leg was pinned under an incredibly large box, but it was twisted at a horrible angle. Blood seeped from a gash at the side of her head. Her blue eyes were wide open, but she wasn't responding to Weiss' pleas.

"Winter?! Winter, please!" The young girl was crying, clinging to her sister's shoulders. "Wake up…" Qrow felt hollow, like all his insides had been scooped out, like he had nothing to live for.

"Stop," The pilot gently took Weiss' hands away from her sister, and Winter lay still. No.

"She's still breathing," Qrow managed to choke. "Oh th-thank… Oh, she's still breathing," before he could say anything else sobs wracked his body, and he clung to her like she was his lifeline. A soft hand grasped his shoulder and he looked up to see Weiss, tears still in her eyes, but there was determination there as well.

"We have to get her out of here."

Qrow looked over at the pilot.

"We're sinking fast," the pilot said, gesturing to the rising water levels. "We can force the door by the cockpit open, but from there we're going to have to swim to the surface." Qrow nodded.

"Let's get this box off her," The pilot said, "Then we'll open the door when you're ready." They heaved the crate off Winter's crushed leg. Qrow clenched his fist.

"Jimmy better be paying the medical bills," he hissed, glancing at the label "FRAGILE" on the box. Then, as gently as he could, he scooped Winter into his arms. He knew they always said never to move someone with an injury that bad, but they had no choice. It was move or die. Together with Weiss, and the co-pilot, he stood in front of the door to the air craft. The pilot came out from the cockpit.

"When you four are ready. I've overridden the commands, I'll be able to press this button…"

"Ready," Weiss whispered. She looked terrified, but she faced the door head on, like any challenge.

"Ready," Qrow nodded, clutching his fiancée.

"Ready." The co-pilot said, and the door opened. Qrow didn't remember much after that.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Never apologize for quoting Harry Potter. That was beautiful. 3_

 **Nina Vale:** _Yesss! Wedding planningggg! Can you imagine a Qrowin Wedding? That's literally I want from this world. Goddammit, RT. Why._

 **Celestia's Paladin:** _Hmm.. hadn't really thought about their mum. Weird. We do know like nothing about her... I think Jacques is going to be more surprised when he finally learns that Winter and Weiss are living out successful and happy lives without him being a controlling ass._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _This proposal was completely sudden for them and definitely sudden for me. I don't know why the words took me there, but they did and it's beautiful. Sometimes stories just have minds of their own._

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _Ahhh! I'm so glad you love it, and I'm so glad the characters are all working out!_

 **Gunnrdgr8:** _Bless you, every single one of all of you. Thank you for encouraging me to write more._

 **Aquaticmammals:** _I'm soooo glad! I'm always worried people at the start are like, ehhh whatever. I'm glad you've decided to stick around. Thinking ahead like ages ago, I was certain Winter would literally have to drag Qrow down the aisle. But, I think love has changed Qrow. I think they both realized together that they wanted this and he was just the one who was like, "Okay, we're doing this."_

 **BMAN92:** _Bless youuuu! And also, noooo the ending can't happen soon! D: You have to meet the babbbbyyyy(ies?)? #i'minnocentaf_

 **bwburke94:** _Okay, but look, I was above Greenland in a plane, so... *deep breath* I'M SORRY IT WASN'T POSTED EXACTLY AT MIDNIGHT OF THIS BEAUTIFUL NEW YEAR. *gasping for breath* It's gonna be okay._

 **Guest:** _Yayyy! I'm so glad it all worked out! :D lol I am so glad you like this story! Yes! Weiss is definitely beginning to accept that her sister is head over heels for Ruby's crazy uncle. :) (Weird thing though: If Winter and Qrow marry, Qrow would be Weiss' brother-in-law. Isn't that weird?!)_

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _Are you saying Qrow would be totally protective of his new little sister, because that is the most amazing thing that I have ever had the pleasure of imagining. I mean, that is PERFECT. Because he totally would be like, "Um. Date my sister?! Are you insane?" Also, that's the most amazing autocorrect I've seen in a long time. :D_

 **Thank you and bless you all! I can't believe how many people have started reading this and reviewing it. It's perfectly amazing!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**

 **-annawrites**


	27. Welcome Back

***screaming* you guys, I am too much of a good person. I'm too good. I feel like she should have lost the baby after that trauma BUT I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF-I JUST-I AM TOO GOOODDDDDD.**

 **Send help.**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

First there was sound. A soft beeping, and some sort of murmuring. Then there was light. It was so bright she immediately closed her eyes again to block it out.

"Winter…?" Voices sounded so distant, far off. She opened her eyes slowly, letting herself slowly adjust to the light, and everything slowly moved into focus.

"General…?" Her voice was hoarse, like she hadn't used it in some time. James was there, sitting next to her bed, holding her hand in his. Standing next to him, hands resting on his shoulders, was Glynda. When Winter's eyes met his, he smiled,

"Welcome back, Winter," James spoke in almost a whisper, squeezing her hand.

"We were very worried about you," Glynda murmured.

"What… what happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"I remember…" Winter hesitated, trying to think back. She remembered Qrow proposing to her only a few moments before the new year. She remembered getting a ride back to Mistral, but she didn't remember much after getting on the air ship…? What had happened? There was… a crash? She looked down to see her left leg in a thick, white cast.

"The air ship…" she said.

"There was a malfunction that was apparently overlooked," James' expression changed in an instant from calm to fury. Winter had never seen him look so angry before. "The men who oversaw the preflight check have been dealt with. I will be personally making sure nothing like this ever happens again."

"But… _what_ happened?" Winter said. Glynda sighed,

"The engines both went out, the pilot and co-pilot had to make an emergency landing at sea. The cargo wasn't properly tied down and you were severely injured on impact."

"Weiss!" Winter gasped, "Wh-what about Weiss?"

"Weiss is fine," James said. "Glynda and I have made sure she's well cared for." Winter nodded slowly, and then murmured,

"And… Qrow…?" There was a long pause. James and Glynda exchanged glances.

"We don't know where he is." James said, "He received medical treatment when you were rescued, for three broken ribs, but after that he refused to see you. He… left."

Winter looked down at her hands. A turmoil of emotions was building up in her chest. There should be a ring there. He should be here, at her side, holding her hand, kissing her temple. Assuring her, that everything was just fine.

"How long have I been out?"

"Ten days," James said.

"And… the baby?" Winter didn't meet their eyes, terrified of what the answer might be. Glynda came around from behind James and gently took her hands, kneeling at her bed.

"The baby is doing fine," she murmured, squeezing Winter's hands, "Just fine. But right now is a critical time, Winter, you have to rest. You've experienced a great deal of trauma. If you want the baby to stay safe—" Winter burst into tears, and Glynda quickly pulled her into her arms, "No, dear, shh… It's going to be just fine. Shh… Winter, shhh… It's going to be alright…"

"It's not supposed to be this way," Winter sobbed, gasping for breath, clinging to Glynda. "It's not supposed to be this way."

"Winter…" Winter could hardly see James through her tears.

"He's supposed to be here," She choked.

"It's going to be alright, dear, please… don't cry, it's going to be alright," Glynda murmured. Winter clung to her, sobbing into her shoulder.

"I'll send word to him that you've woken up, alright?" James whispered. "I'll tell him you want to see him."

"You don't understand," Winter sat up, trying to quickly wipe away all her tears. Glynda still held on to her shoulders. "We were happy. We were so happy on the way home. He asked me to marry him." Glynda and James exchanged a glance and then James narrowed his eyes,

"I'll send word to him, Winter," He said, "That's all I can do right now." James slipped out of the room, the door shutting hard behind him. Glynda sat on Winter's bed, pulling the younger woman into her embrace again, and patting her back.

"You have to calm down, Winter," she said, "You have a baby to think about. You have to calm down."

* * *

 **REPLIES TO REVIEWS:**

 **Nina Vale:** _Winter has done a great deal of good in Qrow's life, especially when it comes to this. Yes, what the pilot said about bad luck is going to really be troublesome with him, but I think it won't take too much to convince him to return to the love of his life. I guess we'll just see where the story goes. But yeah, he's going to be a little... worried for a while now. Especially since Winter's pregnant._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Qrow would definitely lean towards the whole "stay away" aspect of things... at least at first. But, really, (like I said in the previous review) it might not take as much this time. He really is in love with Winter, and things were going so well before. Though, he certainly will be wary for sometime._

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _Thank you! Like I said, I'm not evil enough. I tried so hard, but I really honestly couldn't bring myself to do it. Can you imagine, how unbelievably devastated they would both be if Winter lost the baby? Qrow would definitely leave for good. Winter would pour herself into her work. Their relationship would practically be over because Qrow would want to "protect" her from himself. It would be absolutely horrendous. I just couldn't do it._

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _I completely agree. Winter and Qrow are the perfect team, they compliment each other so well. Both of them have that: both of them are strong but they need each other, especially in trying situations like this. I concur, James and Glynda both would totally kick Qrow's ass for Winter._

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _I figured it was probably someone who left that review and forgot to log in, I just wasn't sure who... It's gonna be okay. They're gonna be okay. It's gonna be finneee..._

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _it's gonna be alright. Like I said, I'm too good._

 **Gunnrdgr8:** _I hate drama but I love drama. Half of me is just too good for drama. And by that I mean it's extremely difficult to freaking hurt this precious ship because of feels._

 **Thanks, all, for the awesome reviews and thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter!**

 **-annawrites**


	28. Oz

**Heyyy! Sorry I haven't posted as recently as the other ones. (Though I don't think it's been that long). I've become irreversibly obsessed with an AU idea I had that I really really really want to write a fic about, but just haven't found the right way to start. So I've been making a crap ton of moodboards and posting them on tumblr. ahhhgggg. Anyways. I just read over this chapter and the next one (that I already had written up again) and I'm ready to write again! :D**

 **(Plus I've made eight moodboards for a 1940s AU in the past two days, please send help).**

 **Hope you like this chapter as well! I needed some more Oscar! :)**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

"Where are you?"

Qrow glanced around at his surroundings in bewilderment, and then turned back towards his scroll.

"A bar… I think."

"Qrow, this isn't a joke," James narrowed his eyes and Qrow chuckled under his breath.

"Wow, déjà vu," he frowned, then glanced at the bartender, "Can I get another?"

"No, he does _not_ need another," James said from the small device in Qrow's hand.

"Jimmy, you're ruining the fun."

"This is not a joke, Qrow."

"You already said that."

"Qrow, Winter's awake." Qrow froze, glancing back down at the screen of his scroll. Then he regained his composure and shook his head,

"I've already screwed things up, I really don't think it's a good idea to—"

"Qrow," James growled, "Please, for the sake of everything, put aside your ridiculously selfish ideas about your semblance and come back. I have never seen a woman more tortured, she _needs_ her fiancé." The words hit Qrow like an arrow to the heart. He needed his fiancée too. He yearned to see her smile, to taste her lips, to feel her warmth. Fiancée. The words sounded so right. He wanted nothing more than to marry her, except to keep her safe. _We can only chalk this up to bad luck._ He shook his head,

"I can't come, James, I really can't." Then he terminated the call. He was left alone in silence for only a few moments. The next thing he knew someone was sliding into the seat next to his.

"Qrow?" He glanced over at where Oscar was sitting, hands resting on the bar counter like he knew everything there was to know.

"Aren't you a little young to be at a bar?" Qrow sighed.

"Have you forgotten how old I really am?" Oscar asked.

"Oz?"

"Not really," Oscar frowned.

"What do you want, kid?"

"I want to help."

"Of course, you do. Look, this is really something that I'm going to have to deal with—"

"But you won't."

"What?" Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"You won't deal with it."

"What—?"

"You are notorious for running away from responsibilities, Qrow. Trust me, I know this from personal experience," Oscar sighed.

"Um… and by personal you mean…?"

"Look, what's important is this isn't just about responsibilities, is it? You're in love with Winter."

Qrow narrowed his eyes at the young man sitting next to him and then sighed, "Not that it's any of your business, but yes. I love her… more than anything. Which is why—"

"And you love your child."

"My… child. Yes. I do, of course. _Which is why—_ "

"You need to realize that you running away from the people you love isn't for their benefit. You're being utterly selfish, Qrow."

"This isn't about me!"

"You're right! It's not," Oscar snapped, "But you're making it completely about you!"

"I'm only going to hurt them!"

"That's a poor excuse!"

"I'm a monster!" Qrow hissed. Oscar paused, looking thoughtfully down at his hands, which were calmly resting on the bar.

"Do you think that your semblance is a curse?" Qrow groaned and waved for the bartender to get him another drink but Oscar waved him away. "Do you think your semblance is a curse?"

"Of course it is!" Qrow gasped, "Look what I've done!" Oscar crossed his arms and shook his head,

"You haven't done anything, Qrow."

"How in the world would you know?! You're just a child!" Then, realizing what he said, he put his head in his hands and groaned.

"Qrow, I know I'm not Ozpin, but I remember when you first arrived at the academy. It will be one of my greatest regrets that we never really focused on learning more about your semblance," Oscar hesitated, "I believe it was Winter who once said that the more one practices with their semblance the better they are able to use it. If I had helped you at all during our time at the academy then perhaps you would be confident and able to understand the difference between what is caused by your semblance and what is really just the world going around. Listen, Qrow, things like this happen all the time. That doesn't mean that you're the cause."

"Let me make sure I'm getting this down right. You're saying that I haven't even completely mastered my semblance-?"

"I'm saying we can't live in fear of who we are," Oscar whispered. "Qrow, your semblance is bad luck. That's a fact. Another fact: You're living in your semblance's shadow. You're terrified of it. As long as you're scared, you'll never be able to rise above it. You'll never be able to accept it as a part of you. You'll never see the good in it, only the bad. You need to stop running from the things you love the most because one day it will be the very thing that destroys you." There was a long silence at the bar.

"Are you sure you're not Ozpin?" Qrow huffed. Oscar grinned,

"My name is Oscar Pine. Ozpin is _a part_ of _me_." Qrow groaned.

"Maybe you're right."

"I think you know I am," Oscar said, "So what are you waiting for? Shouldn't you be going to see your fiancée?"

"Maybe I should talk to you more about this kind of think, Oz," Qrow stood and tossed some money onto the bar.

"Qrow," Oscar sighed, "You can talk to me anytime you'd like."

"Right. Catch ya later, kid," Qrow patted Oscar's shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

"Don't you know? To speak to my future wife."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Oh man I am soooo ready for a Qrow vs. Ironwood. When I wrote this chapter, though, I needed some Oscar being wise, like Ozpin, so that's how it went down. Maybe Ironwood will kick Qrow's ass yet, though. ;)_

 **Seigga:** _Ah! Bless you! I'm so glad you like the story! I hadn't really thought about blaming the crash on someone, but that's an interesting idea. I'll have to think about it. I'm not sure Jacques would have had the resources to sabotage the airship right away, but maybe he'll meddle in Winter's affairs later on. He definitely is that type of asshole._

 **Celestia's Paladin:** _100% agree. My headcanon is literally that James Ironwood adopts Winter and Weiss, because he knows their dad is a complete monster and he's totally actually their dad because he really is a father figure to them. Can you imagine though, if James **was** Winter's adopted father?! He would be 10000x more pissed at Qrow than he already usually is. "Stay the hell away from my daughter, Qrow." _

**SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _I think one of the biggest reasons I chose Oscar was because Qrow respects Ozpin more than anyone. James can come and kick his ass, for sure, but Qrow doesn't respect James hardly at all. I think Oscar was the perfect choice to calmly remind him where he belongs. Plus, this scene hints at my belief that Qrow's semblance is really not as bad as he thinks it is. Yas! Ironwitch! I need, so badly, to write some Ironwitch oneshots. *sigh* I love them._

 **Nina Vale:** _They really need each other, I think. But, right now Winter definitely needs him. I mean, Winter's strong as hell but she just went through an incredibly traumatic experience, broke her leg, and she's pregnant! She definitely needs someone to lean on right now, and definitely that person is Qrow._

 **FeugoFox42:** _Oscar! Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. Though, he's definitely going to be worried now, especially with the baby! Dad!Qrow activate!_

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _It is my personal belief that James can have kids. I once wrote a short oneshot about Glynda not being able to have kids and it was really sad, and after I changed it up so that she found out she's pregnant. It was too sad for James and Glynda both, so honestly, I think they could have kids. I'll have to write some more Glynda x James at some point. :)_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** That is 100% what it is. He's just being freaking sorry for himself. Sorry, this one's short too! the next one's longer! :(

 **BMAN92:** _I did promise! It's going to be alright! D:_

 **Gunnrdgr8:** _Yayyy! Reviews are always welcome! :D *gladly joins you, with a glass of jameson*_

 **Dragons and Breakfast Food:** _I'm sorrryyyyy! :(_

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _Bless youuuu! I'm glad you liked the chapter! I think Winter just has too many burdens right now for Qrow to be gone, she really does need him, and he really is just being selfish by going off like that on his own._

 **rm928:** _Welcome, welcome! I'm soooo happy you like this fic! :D It's super hard to find good fics for Qrowin. I think part of that is because, despite what tumblr seems to think, it really is kind of a rare ship, at least in terms of the content that's produced for them. (Though, I do think that's changing!) Thanks for reading! :)_

 **Thank you all for the amazing reviews! Look at all of that! I love talking to you all and I'm so glad to see people are reading! :)**

 **See you on the next chapter! :D**

 **-annawrites**

 **PS Who is so ready to demand that Winter be in V6? I am. Please, RT, pleeeeaaasseee.**


	29. Daisies

**I know it's been a while! I had a couple essays due this week, so those were consuming my time. Now I'm back and I'm gonna be writing some more! Here's this chapter, a semi-conclusion to the stress this little family has had to deal with. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

"It's been three days, Winter, how are you feeling?" Weiss was sitting on a chair at the edge of Winter's bed, two cups of tea in her hands. She passed one quickly to her sister, who wordlessly accepted it. "Winter, please." The young woman pleaded, "I know you're upset about Qrow, but… really, it's going to be alright."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Winter whispered. Weiss hesitated, setting her teacup down and shaking her head.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone keeps telling me that it's going to be alright, but I don't feel like…" Winter glared down at her cast, "I don't feel like everything is going to be alright, ever."

"Hey," Weiss reached out and grabbed her sister's hand, "It will be. Don't you remember when we were little? You and I made a pact. We would always be there for each other. Well, I'm here for you now, Winter. Whatever you need and whenever." Winter could hear Glynda suddenly raise her voice out in the hall, and then there was silence.

"Weiss…" Winter trailed off when a familiar figure slipped into the room, crimson eyes searching, and then they landed on her. The soft beeping from the monitor quickened. Winter held her breath. Weiss stood slowly and crossed her arms with a glare.

"Do you have any idea how long General Ironwood has been trying to reach you?! My poor sister here has been completely beside herself! What in the world do you think you were doing, going off like that?!" Somehow, despite Weiss' shouting, Qrow couldn't tear his eyes away from Winter.

"Weiss," Winter whispered, "It's alright. Can we have a moment?" Weiss huffed, rolled her eyes, and then quickly shoved her way past Qrow to leave the room.

The first words out of his mouth were,

"Are you alright? Is the baby alright?" No, she wasn't. She was furious, but more than that she was brokenhearted. She could hardly speak. Her hands were shaking so badly. She could only stare up into his eyes, and there she saw complete, genuine concern. Her heart yearned to hold him, to never let him go. Before she could even answer his questions, she choked on a sob and then, shaking her head she burst into tears. He looked bewildered for a moment, before he sat down at the edge of her bed and quickly pulled her into his arms. She gripped his shirt tightly between her fingers, and let herself cry into his shoulder. "Winter… Winter…"

"I should slap you," she gasped, but really she was too relieved to move from his embrace.

"I would deserve it," he said, but Winter shook her head.

"I love you. I love you, Qrow. Don't you dare leave me ever again."

"Cross my heart," He whispered, "Win…? What about the baby?"

"Oh," Winter smiled, gently pressing his hand against her middle, "The baby is just fine. I just have to make sure I rest a lot because—" But Qrow had already breathed a sigh of relief, and pulled her into another tight embrace, kissing her neck and then placing his hand on her belly again,

"Don't worry, kid. Dad and Mom are gonna make sure you're always safe." Winter beamed up at him. "What?" Qrow laughed.

"Shh! Just kiss me, Branwen." Qrow pulled Winter into a soft kiss, and after a breath she pulled him into another, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mmm… Miss me much?" Qrow grinned.

"Don't ruin this," Winter frowned. Qrow kissed her once more, and then he stood, "Give me a minute." Winter watched him exit the room for a moment and come back with a bouquet of daisies. "Do you remember the wildflowers?"

Winter laughed, "How can I forget? Hope."

"Without you, I wouldn't have any hope, Winter, which is why I wanted to do this the right way. I thought long and hard about it over the past couple of days and I made up my mind."

"What in the world are you—" Qrow handed her the flowers and the got down on one knee at the side of her bed.

"Winter Schnee," He whispered, pulling out a small velvet box from one of his pockets. "If you'll still have me," He gently opened the box to reveal a simple gold band with a small diamond at the center. "Will you make me the happiest fool on this planet, and marry me?"

Tears burned at the corners of Winter's eyes, "What do you think, Branwen? You know nothing would make me happier. I have to tie you down somehow." Qrow grinned, and stood up from where he knelt. Sitting down on the bed, he took her hand in his and gently slipped the ring on her finger. This time she didn't ask, she grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Mrs. Branwen," Qrow murmured, gently running his thumb across her jawline, "How lucky is our kid going to be to have a mom like you?"

"Lucky," Winter whispered. It was the first time she had ever heard Qrow use the word "luck" without "bad" preceding it. "As Lucky as we are, I imagine."

The hushed and frantic whispers grew louder in the hallway, and then the door burst open, Glynda marching in, her heels tapping on the floor.

"Qrow—"

"Glynda!" James sighed, following after her, and reaching for her arm. They both paused when their eyes landed on Winter and Qrow, sitting hand-in-hand on Winter's bed. Glynda looked frustrated, her glasses were slipping down the bridge of her nose, and her arms were crossed, riding crop in hand.

"I told you… I…" She huffed and then shrugged her shoulders as if trying to loosen up. She shook her head, "You both look…"

"I told you it was fine," James sighed, gently resting a hand on his partner's shoulder. Winter watched her fiancé narrow his eyes, and cross his arms.

"Of course, we're fine. Winter and I are getting married." Glynda relaxed, her arms dropping to her sides and she gave them both a small smile,

"James and I are very happy for you." Winter let herself smile brightly, and she took Qrow's hand tightly in her own.

"Congratulations," James said, "When's the wedding?" Qrow choked on a laugh,

"Umm…"

"That's certainly something to discuss," Winter smiled.

The door opened again and there was a crash from just outside.

"Jaune!" That was Ruby's voice, "I told you the door wasn't shut all the way!"

Ren spoke up, "I told you all this was a bad idea."

Glynda whirled around to face the doorway, "Are you all out there eavesdropping?!" There was a moment of silence before Ruby burst into the room.

"You're getting married?!" She squealed, throwing her arms around both Winter and Qrow. Winter was sure her cheeks were bright red. Qrow laughed as the rest of his wild group of teenagers joined them in the small bedroom. Yang somehow ended up tackling Qrow and Ruby in a group hug.

"Ren!" Nora shouted, "This is happening! We're gonna have a wedding!"

Winter listened with a smile ass the volume grew louder in the room from all the chatting. Glynda gave her an apologetic smile.

"Alright, alright!" Qrow rolled his eyes, "Listen, kids. Winter needs to rest, alright? And I need a drink." He turned to his fiancée, "Do you mind if I walk them all back home?"

"I don't mind at all," Winter smiled, gently pulling him in for a soft kiss.

"Get some sleep. I'll be back when you wake up tomorrow morning," he murmured, before standing up and pulling Ruby and Yang into another hug. "Let's go home and make some dinner. Actually, it might be better if someone else makes dinner. Last time I tried making dinner I literally burned everything."

"I'll make dinner," Ren sighed. Weiss hurried over to her sister's side and pulled her into a tight hug,

"I'm glad everything was worked out," she whispered, "I'm glad you're happy, Winter." Once everyone was out of the room Glynda gently shut the door.

"We're glad you're alright, Winter," She said, "Qrow's right, you should get some rest." Winter nodded.

"Thank you, Glynda," she said.

"See you tomorrow, Schnee," James said before he wrapped an arm around Glynda and they left the room, shutting the door behind them. Winter leaned back against her pillows and looked over to where she had set her daisies. _Tangible Hope._ Qrow had once called them. She smiled, feeling warm inside.

 _Winter Schnee Branwen. Mrs. Branwen._ She couldn't wait to officially make that name hers.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _I agree. He doesn't run away when things get tough, he runs away when things are too good because he's scared that his bad luck will screw up everything. Yes! I agree! I also wanted this chapter to nod towards my own headcanon that Qrow branwen is a drama queen and that his semblance is not as bad as he thinks it is._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Qrow may be stubborn as hell, but he trusts Ozpin, and Oscar is slowly getting all of Ozpin's memories, so they're kinda one and the same. Fight scenes, you say? Hmm..._

 **Celestia's Paladin:** _Yeah, I'm still trying to find a way to incorporate James kicking Qrow's ass... hmmm... next chapter probably. Though, Qrow's determined as hell now not to leave his fiancee or their child._

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _Ah! I'm glad you liked it! Hope you liked the reunion too!_

 **bwburke94:** _Ahhhhh! I cannot wait for volume six! D: RT better hand us some good Qrowin content or I might die. omg. I can imagine it now, and I need it please. Augh, Whitley. Why does he have to exist?_

 **SemblanceOfInvisiblity:** _Qrow just needed some sense knocked into him. He's good now! And yessss! I can't wait for Atlas! I'm so excited. Yeah, Glynda better be coming back! (Gotta love Ironwitch). Though, I am just super excited for the inevitable Winterrrrr! :D_

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Yeah. I think he just needed a heart to heart with someone he really trusts._

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Thank you thank you! I'm glad you like it!_

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _I haven't posted my Ironwitch oneshots yet, because they're not quite finished! I should definitely work a little on those. I do have a couple other oneshots. One for Neo and Roman and one for Renora. They're finished, but I haven't posted them yet. *sigh* I probably should._

 **SpanishBulldog63:** _Bless you! I'm so glad you found this story and I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far! Aw! Weiss and Neptune! I don't know if I ship Weiss with anyone really, but if I were to ship her with someone it would definitely be leaning in that direction._

 **Gunnrdgr8:** _*gasp* Well that's just rude... O.o It's okay! I'm writing more now!_

 **Guest:** _ALL THE CLAPS FOR OSCAR._

 **Thanks all for sticking with me to chapter 29!**

 **See you on the next chapter.**

 **-annawrites**


	30. Back to School

**Look at this: annawrites is finally acknowledging the plot of the 5th volume. Woohoo! Okay: important. From now on this little story is going to be an AU. It has to be (I mean it already is because Qrowin, but more than that) it has to be an au because I started this for the fluff and I do not intend on following along with the angst that is the actual tv show. Volume 5 ended on a semi-happy note and we're going to keep it that way for now, so we're splitting off from canon and heading in a completely different direction starting now. Read to find out howwww! :D**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

"Alright, here we are," Qrow sighed, looking up at the enormous steps leading to Haven Academy. It had been only a couple weeks, but despite Qrow's protestations Winter had demanded to return to her post at the school. _"If I can't go out and fight, Qrow, I'm nothing."_ She had said, sitting on the edge of their bed. When had his bed become "theirs?" He couldn't remember. But he remembered how she had added, _"I need to be doing something, or I might go crazy."_

Now, Winter moved towards the front step, holding on so tightly to her crutches that her knuckles turned white. Qrow's heart skipped a beat.

"Woah, woah… hold on, Ice Queen." He gently took her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Winter frowned, "It's fine I can walk up the—"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm giving you a lif." And before Winter could protest again, Qrow scooped her up into his arms, bridal style. With one hand she clutched her crutches, and she wrapped her other arm around his neck, clinging to his collar as he carried her up the front steps to the school.

"Qrow!" She gasped.

"Relax. This is faster anyways," He sighed. She glared at him a moment longer before letting herself laugh. He paused before the door, looking up into her stunning, blue eyes. She was smiling, and god, she was so beautiful when she smiled.

"I love you," He murmured.

"I love you too, Qrow, but if you hit my leg against the doorframe I will kill you."

Qrow laughed, "There she is…" He somehow managed to open the door, "The Miss Winter—"

"Qrow? Is that you?" James' voice echoed down the hall.

"Put me down," Winter hissed, and Qrow quickly and gently set her back on the ground, helping her get her crutches sorted before James rounded the corner.

"There you are… Schnee?" He frowned, "You climbed all the way up those steps…?"

"I had some help," Winter admitted, and Qrow watched her cheeks flush pink. He grinned, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back against the pillar.

"So… What was it you needed, Jimmy?"

"Qrow, this really isn't the time for games," James sighed.

"Games? Me-?"

"Qrow, stop," Winter narrowed her eyes. Qrow was sure that if she wasn't holding crutches her arms would be crossed. "What's going on, General?"

"After everything that's happened here the council and I have come to a decision."

"The council…" Qrow scoffed.

"Qrow." Winter snapped.

"It's been decided who will take Leo's place after his… unfortunate death," James said, crossing his arms.

"Unfortunate…?" Qrow glared, "That man was a lying…"

"Branwen, I swear to god—" Winter rolled her eyes.

"Branwen, I'm not required to tell you anything, so if you want to know, you better shut your mouth."

"Aye-aye, general." There was a long pause in the conversation before Ironwood finally spoke.

"The council voted that Glynda should take on the role as headmistress of Haven Academy. That means that while you two both work here you'll answer to her."

"Of course," Winter nodded.

"As long as it's not you, I'm a happy man," Qrow shrugged, "At least Glynda is reasonable." Winter gave Qrow a withering glare. James sighed, putting his head in his hand.

"Listen, this is important for both of you. It appears that we're coming into a time of… peace. At least, better peace when this whole mess started. With Cinder dead, and the White Fang dismantled Adam Taurus has been forced into hiding and Salem is laying low for the time being. That means that you're both free to continue working here as long as you'd like. Or… there is something else that I can offer both of you."

"Like you _own_ me," Qrow snapped, "I don't need your permission for anything—"

"No, but Winter does. And… I did hear that you, Qrow, wanted to return home… to Vale?" Qrow's heart almost stopped. _What?_ This could be their chance! Oscar, who had been inheriting more and more of Ozpin's memories, was right: the war was never over. But James was right too. They were in a time of relative peace. They could go _home!_ Qrow could work at Signal again. Winter could work at the Atlesian base in Vale. They could build a home near Tai! The girls could see their father. Qrow and Winter? They could have a fall wedding! They could raise their son or daughter in a place that Qrow had grown to love and call his own. His heart soared, and he felt warm. He hadn't felt like this since Winter had accepted his proposal, (though that hadn't been too long ago).

"But… sir? What would I do in Patch?"

"You should know as well as I do, Winter, that we do have a military base and shipyard in Vale. It's not much of a journey at all between Patch and the city. The Commander there recently retired. I've been looking for a new resident commander for some time. If both of you agree to move back home, I think you'd be a perfect fit for the position." Qrow watched as Winter's eyes lit up and he grinned.

"Well, Jimmy, I have to hand it to you, you definitely know how to give good surprises." It was only a second later that Winter's expression changed to firm resolve,

"We'll have to talk about it together, sir," she said.

"Of course. I expected nothing less from you, Schnee. I know both of you have a class to teach. I didn't mean to keep you."

"It's fine. We still have five minutes before the late bell." Qrow shrugged.

"Five-! Qrow! We have to go immediately! What kind of teachers would we be showing our students that it's acceptable to be late?"

"Normal… teachers…?" Qrow frowned.

"Let's go!" Winter snapped. She quickly saluted Ironwood, and immediately started working her way down the hall as fast as she could with her crutches.

"Thanks, General. See you around." Qrow quickly turned, slipping his flask back into his inner pocket, and dashed after his fiancée down the hall.

They slid into their classroom just as the late bell rang, Winter gasping for breath, not used to using her crutches to literally sprint. Qrow jumped into his chair at his desk with a happy sigh.

"Good morning, kids," He chuckled as his fiancée sat down in her own chair at the side of the room, setting her crutches aside. "Welcome to week five of the semester. I hope you all had a good weekend, but we're going to get right to work…"

* * *

"You were in a surprisingly good mood today," Winter murmured, her leg propped up on Qrow's desk. Qrow was leaning against the blackboard, hands in his pockets. He shrugged a little. "Is this about what James said?" He frowned, rubbing his chin.

"Yes," He murmured, "It's strange… I've never really missed Vale like this before. Maybe the girls are rubbing off on me."

"Are you sure that doesn't have anything to do with the baby?" Winter looked up at him with a teasing smile, her hand resting on her still-flat middle. Qrow blinked, a little surprised at himself. Maybe it was about the baby, and about Winter. The idea of raising his family back at home suddenly seemed wildly appealing. He thought about having a house near Tai's. Not too big of a house, he thought. Just a couple of bedrooms, and a nice living space, but they would have a big yard. He imagined their kid growing up there, the same way Ruby and Yang did. Running around in the grass, playing make-believe. They would be close enough that he or she could walk to Uncle Tai's house and visit their cousins. He imagined having picnics in the grass. He imagined getting married in the winter. For once in his terribly unlucky life he let himself imagine that they would have more kids. That they could raise a family together.

"Maybe it is," he said after a moment.

"We should do it," Winter said, completely taking him by surprise.

"I thought you said you wanted to think about it."

"I've never seen you as happy as you are now," she said, "Not really. Besides, if we go back to Vale we can do a lot of good there. The city has been suffering from a high number of Grimm attacks since the Battle for Beacon. And that number keeps growing. Now that the threat of Salem has at least died down, the children can get back to training. You can get back to teaching, or being a huntsman, and I… well… I certainly wouldn't mind being promoted to the rank of commander."

"Have I ever told you that I love you?" Qrow grinned. Winter shrugged,

"Mmm… maybe once or twice. You're going to have to step up your game, Branwen." Qrow crossed the one step that distanced them and leaned over to gently press his mouth to hers. She slowly raised her hand, pressing it against his neck and pulling him closer.

"Are we doing this?" He murmured, barely pulling away, their noses still touching.

"You better offer Glynda your letter of resignation. It's time to go home." The way she said it made Qrow's heart fill with an emotion that he was happy to become acquainted with: joy.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yes! Happy proposal long overdue. And happiness long over due for both of them, and the poor kids that follow them around everywhere. :)_

 **Aquaticmammals:** _Oh haha, well now it's obvious that I don't really edit very well. (Also, that is definitely not exactly what was written. i went back and read it.) Y'all know what I actually meant._

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yesss! They are going to be adorable and I myself can't wait!_

 **Richard1081:** _Awww! Yeah! that would be so cute! Definitely has to happen._

 **rm928:** _Bless you! I'm so glad you liked the chapter and I will try to keep up with things! :D_

 **FeugoFox42:** _Yes. Qrow, of course, will always be a little cautious of his semblance, but I think he's now definitely open to the idea of making a life for himself. He has the opportunity, it's right there, and he's finally decided to reach out and take it. Also, me too. I am also Nora and I'm not even in a relationship or anything. I just love weddings._

 **Nina Vale:** _Yessss! Thank you for saying that because it's so true. Qrow wouldn't have ever done any proper proposal like this because he really doesn't care, but he knows that that's what his fiancee needed, so he did it anyways, just to emphasize to her that he's never leaving again. Yessss! Protective!Dad!Qrow Activate! :DDD I'm so ready to write that. It's gonna be loads of fun! And blessss youuuu for the idea of James walking Winter down the aisle because that is the best thing I've ever heard and now it's gonna happen._

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Bless you! Thank **you** for reading! I think you'll like the next chapter as well. _

**Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _Awww! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! That would be awesome! I'd love to hear about it. It's always helpful to bounce ideas off of other people! I'll be sure to let you know when I post some Ironwitch. I'm hoping to post a oneshot after I finish posting this chapter. So after you're done reading this chapter you should go check my author's page to see if I've posted yet. Thanks for showing an interest in my other works!_

 **Bless you all for reading! Thanks for sticking around to chapter 30!**

 **-annawrites**


	31. Welcome to Vale

**Chapter thirty one for you all! I'm trying to get more writing done, but this is an integral and busy part of my lovely quarter abroad (crying tears of "why essays?") I love this story and I love these two and RWBY CHIBI SEASON 3 EPISODE 3 HAS GIVEN ME LIFE.**

 **Just so you all know, Arkos week starts February 17th. So, hopefully I'll be able to follow along and write some ADORABLE fics for those cinnamon rolls! :DD Find me on tumblr as _i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate_**

 **I'll be posting the Arkos oneshots there before I post them here on fanfiction. (Plus the majority of my blog is RWBY so follow me and I'll follow you back, probably. -I'm not great at that sort of stuff).**

 **Enjoy chapter 31!**

* * *

A sea breeze pulled at Winter's hair as she leaned against the old blue truck Qrow was borrowing. Jaune and Ren were helping Qrow with the last of the boxes, which somehow all fit into the bed of the vehicle. Nora was jumping from rock to rock on the beach. Her hair bouncing with each leap.

"I can't believe we're actually here!" Ruby clapped her hands and then bounced over to her Uncle. "We're home! We're home! We're home!"

"Alright, alright!" Qrow laughed, lifting the tailgate back into position. "You kids get to ride in the back."

"Yes!" Ruby gasped, pumping her fist. "Yannnngggg!" Yang was seeing how far she could toss rocks into the ocean. Weiss had happily challenged her, and, much to the blonde's chagrin, had demonstrated that her semblance was rather beneficial when it came to skipping rocks. "We're leaving!"

"Yes!" Nora leaped from the last boulder back to the road where their truck was parked. "Finally!"

"You could have helped," Ren sighed.

"Hey! I did help! … A little…"

"Alright, Mrs. Branwen," Qrow held out his hand to his wife, and she smiled, taking it. He helped her step up into the tall truck while the teens all climbed in the bed and found seats on boxes.

After they had decided to move back home to Vale, neither of them had really known how long it would take to get their things in order. They had to sell the apartments in Mistral, and Qrow had to apply for a position at Signal. Then there was the tricky part: Finding a house on Patch, preferably near Tai. Then it turned out it was easier to buy a house together if they were married. So that's what they did. It was a simple court ceremony: a few lines repeated in front of a judge, and a little certificate signed. James and Glynda were their witnesses. It wasn't what Winter wanted at all, more than anything she wanted her family involved in a big celebration! So they had promised one another that as soon as the baby was born they would have an actual ceremony. Then they bought their house: only a five minute walk down the lane from Tai's. A beautiful little thing with three bedrooms, and a guest house. All the while, Winter's belly grew, and, as if fate was giving their dreams a little cherry on top, somewhere in that whole process Winter had one of her appointments and they found out that they were expecting a baby boy.

A baby boy! She remembered how Qrow's expression had changed instantly, and every time she remembered she laughed, just like she had in the moment. His eyes had grown wide, and then there was that classic grin. She remembered the tears in his eyes, the way he shook his head. _"Hell, I never imagined I was good enough for kids, and here you are bringing me a son."_ She had pulled him into a tight embrace, kissing his temple, his cheeks, his lips, _"You_ _ **are**_ _good enough for him, and you're good enough for me. I love you."_

Now Qrow was starting the old truck while Oscar, the last of the group, climbed into the bed and settled down on one of the boxes.

"Alright, everyone," Qrow chuckled, "Settle in. It's going to be a bumpy ride." The journey was peaceful. Winter stared out the window, watching the small town around Signal, and then the forest zip by. Qrow gently reached out and took her hand in his, his eyes never leaving the road.

"How are you feeling?" He said, after a moment of silence. Winter adjusted her sun hat and smiled over at him.

"Happy."

"Me too," he murmured, squeezing her hand. Then, "But I meant physically."

She scoffed, "Honestly, Qrow, I'm fine."

"Come on…" He sighed, "I'm just making sure. You know—"

"—that you get worried, yes, I do know."

"What I was going to say was: 'You know what the doctor said about making sure you rest as much as possible.' What can be more exciting than all the traveling we've been doing…?"

"Qrow," She huffed, squeezing his hand, "I'm fine, really." He hesitated, glancing her way almost as if to just be sure, and then he smiled,

"I'm glad." He let go of her hand, and for a moment pressed his hand against her swollen belly. "When do you think he'll start moving?"

"Doctor said any day," Winter said, pressing her own hand to where their son slept peacefully and safely. "But if he's as strong as his daddy, I may never be able to forgive you for getting me pregnant."

Qrow laughed, "I think strength runs in both sides of the family, sweetheart."

"You better believe it," she grinned.

Soon enough, their car was bumping along the dirt road leading to Taiyang's house. They reached Qrow and Winter's new home first, bouncing over potholes and bumps in the driveway before coming to a stop near the front door.

"Oh!" Winter smiled, reaching for the door to get out. Qrow jumped before she could.

"Here!" He slid out of the car, and raced around to open her door and help her out. "It's a tall truck," he said, "I just want to make sure you don't—"

"It's fine," she smiled, taking his hand, "Normally I would object to your obvious display of unnecessary worry. On this occasion, however, I don't think I could get out without your help," she gestured to her baby bump with a sheepish smile. Qrow laughed, quickly helping her out of the car. The teens were already piling out of the bed with excitement. Ruby leaped over to the front door of the house.

"It's so prettyyyyy!" She gasped. It was. The house was a similar design to Taiyang's house, a two-story log cabin. This house, however, had larger windows and a small front porch. The front door had a stained-glass window in it, depicting a cherry blossom tree, and the roof had pretty, curved shingles.

"It _is_ beautiful," Winter murmured. In the back, beyond some trees she could just make out a small guest cabin.

"Home sweet home!" Qrow grinned.

"Alright, girls and boys, let's get these boxes inside—" Before Qrow could finish, the front door opened and Tai stepped out, followed by Zwei.

"Oh! You're here!"

"Dad!" Ruby and Yang both gasped at once, before embracing their father.

"Tai? We didn't think you were here yet," Qrow grinned.

"I was just setting up the bed frames," Tai shrugged, after hugging his girls tightly. "I figured it would be best to have those ready for everyone. You'll all be tired after travelling for so long."

"You're not wrong," Winter smiled.

"Oh!" Tai reached out to give Qrow a hug. "Congratulations on the wedding!" The darker haired man shrunk away from Tai's embrace but couldn't avoid it completely.

"Thank you," Winter smiled, accepting her own hug from Tai.

"I know you're both planning on having a bigger celebration later, but still, it's happy news."

"Right."

"Oh! And congratulations! A boy!" Tai laughed.

"I will not accept another hug from you," Qrow warned, but Tai didn't seem to notice.

"Well! Let's get these boxes inside! You can come inside, of course, Winter. There are a couple of chairs already in the living room. You can relax, and we'll finish the heavy work." Winter silently cursed pregnancy preventing her from helping. "Maybe you'd like to check out the bedrooms and the kitchen?"

Winter narrowed her eyes as Qrow burst out laughing and continued laughing for close to a solid minute. "Oh no, Winter can't cook. At all."

"Hey!" Winter snapped.

"Please, dear, please don't deny it," Qrow said, still laughing. "I can still taste my birthday surprise."

"Hey, I tried my best!" Winter said.

"Yes, you did. And that's not shameful at all," Qrow sighed, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "What I mean to say is, I love you very much, but you can't touch anything in the kitchen."

"Hey!"

"What I mean to say is, I love you."

"Alright, Qrow, you're going to have to tell me where these boxes go, because whatever labeling system you used sucks," Tai said from where he stood by the truck.

"Hey!" Qrow frowned.

"I'll help. Qrow's handwriting is barely legible, but somehow I've slowly been learning how to decipher it," Winter quickly examined the scribbled writing across the top of the box. "That goes to the kitchen."

"Thanks," Tai nodded.

"You'd think your teammate would remember how to read your notes," Qrow said, grabbing another box from the truck. "Especially since that teammate was so fond of _cheating off of my tests!"_

"Excuse me!" Tai said from the porch. Nora was holding the door open for him, but he had paused, glowering at Qrow, "You _know_ that was one time. Besides, I seem to recall _both of us_ _ **failing.**_ "

"Dad!" Ruby jumped out from the doorway, "Did you see the fireplace?! It's so cool!"

While Tai was distracted Winter leaned against the truck, "Don't fight with him, Qrow."

"Eh… it's all in good fun," Qrow shrugged, "You should come inside, Ice Queen, sit down."

"I should help you all unload the truck," she said, watching as Ren and Jaune both grabbed boxes.

"I don't think so," Qrow frowned, "You know the doctor said no heavy lifting—" Before he could finish Winter focused, gathered her strength and used a small glyph to lift several boxes from the bed of the truck. "—Oh." Qrow watched as she focused, bringing them to rest on another glyph on the porch.

"There. Now we'll get done much faster," Winter said, crossing her arms.

"I'm still not sure that… Well, alright." Qrow said, moving towards the porch, "Just be careful, okay?"

"Why, Branwen, you should know by now that I'm always careful."

Soon enough the truck was unloaded, and all the boxes were piled up in the small living room of their new house.

"Alright, kids," Qrow collapsed onto one of the boxes, pulling out his flask and taking a swig before looking over the teenagers he had somehow "adopted" over the past year. "You all know where you're staying, yeah?"

"Ummm…" Nora frowned.

"Well, we're going back home, obviously!" Yang shrugged, "But where is everyone else going?"

"Since Signal is the school closest to the City of Vale, we've been accepting students of Beacon—those who don't go to other schools like Haven or Atlas. So, once rooms become available at Signal you're all welcome to stay there. We've been organizing a program for upperclass students, students who already went through their first years of academy. You'll be doing a lot of teaching yourselves, really, and you'll be doing a lot of missions. If any of you would like to go to a different academy you're welcome to. Until you decide, and until Signal has rooms cleaned and ready, the girls will stay at my house with Ruby and Yang, and the boys will stay in Qrow and Winter's guest cabin. All the beds are ready."

"If we all go to school again," Ren whispered, "What about our teams? JNPR is missing a member…" He looked over at Jaune and Nora with a sigh, "And Blake and Sun decided to stay with Blake's parents to help the Faunus. So… Team RWBY is missing a member as well."

"I…" Oscar spoke up, his hands resting on his cane, "I… um… I may have most of Ozpin's memories, but… I don't think I'll ever be ready to be the huntsman I need to be."

"Welcome to the club, kid," Qrow said.

"What I _mean_ to say is that… I wouldn't mind going to school myself, to finish regaining my muscle memory."

"What does Ozpin say about that?" Qrow asked.

"He… he doesn't talk very much anymore," Oscar whispered, "I think with every memory I gain a piece of his consciousness disappears into my own…. I don't know how to describe it. It's… strange."

"Well, you're always welcome with… us." Jaune gestured to their small group of three.

"Or us!" Ruby grinned.

"We'll let the headmasters decide who goes where," Winter spoke up, "There are lots of other teams who have been torn apart because of this war. There will be other students looking for a place to fit in."

"So, for now we stay here," Nora smiled, and then she turned to Ruby and Yang, "It'll be like a giant sleep over!"

"Woah, if you girls keep me up…" Tai frowned.

"It's okay, dad, we won't be that loud!" Yang grinned.

"Oh boy. I've heard _that_ before." Tai rolled his eyes. Winter laughed. She wondered if, when their son was grown, they would say the same things as Tai did.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **SpanishBulldog63:** _So. I had to go back and freaking reread that chapter (have I said I don't do a very great amount of editing? Because I don't.) Let me tell you something. Shameful, just. shameful. James would probably DIE before he made Qrow a commander. DIE, I tell you. He would rather DIE. So, no. That's absolutely not supposed to say "both" it's supposed to only say "you" as in Winter Schnee. "Winter Schnee would be perfect for the position" As much as I agree with you, Qrow being a commander would be fucking badass, james would rather DIE a very slow death before making him one. I'm going to fix that immediate. Thank you._

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Have I ever told you all how much I love Qrow Branwen? Have I EVER TOLD YOU ALL HOW MUCH I LOVE Qrow Branwen interacting with James Ironwood? Because I do. And because Qrow Branwen is perfection. (Yes, they are going to be so much happier, definitely somewhat dysfunctional)._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _YES! They deserve this soo sooooo much! That's why I adored writing this chapter. As you can see, we have a bit of a time skip (a few months) but I think it's super precious and I love them. SPEAKING OF QROWIN, HAS ANYONE SEEN THE NEW RWBY CHIBI EPISODE BECAUSE :O_

 **Richard1081:** _I completely agree, I'm gonna get you some of that good content after this chapter. We definitely need Weiss with her new **brother (what!?)** and Ruby and Yang with their aunt! (Aunt Winterrrrr!) As for Weiss being Ruby and Yang's aunt... not really? I have aunts and uncles who are married into the family for example my mom's brother's wife, right? She's my aunt, but I don't call her siblings my aunts and uncles... maybe some people do, I don't know? _

**Nina Vale:** _Blessss! lmao I need Qrow lying down on the ground in complete shut down. That's gonna happen now. It's happening. You are 10000% correct. Ya'll are gonna have to continuously remind me about auras because I KEEP FORGETTING THEY EXIST. But yes, we'll go with your explanation because, smart. Definitely needed to protect the baby (that was my plan all along, shhhh)._

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _Omg, Qrow in a nesting phase is literally the best thing I've ever read? Like, that's good shit right there. Like, you know how pregnant women, when they're close to their due date, go through a "nesting phase" where they can't stop cleaning? Yeah, it's like that, except Qrow. That's perfection. Funny pregnant moments are definitely on the way! Ah, gotta love them hormones. As for Willow, I believe in the show they say she has alcoholism? I haven't really included her because we don't know too much about her, but also because of that... You are so welcome, I love writing Goodwitch and Irondaddy. I definitely want to write more (with arkos week coming up though I definitely need to focus on the sweetest Jaune and Pyrrha!) As for the baby's gender, I kid you not, I literally LITERALLY rolled a six sided die. If it landed on odds it would be a girl and if it landed on evens it would be a boy. It landed on 2. So voila! Baby boy. (I also rolled for single or twins and it rolled and odd on that, so single! We'll see where the story goes next with all that done! Maybe, if they get pregnant again...? A girl...?)_

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _Awww! Bless you! I'm so glad you like the story, and I'm so so glad the characters are working out alright. thank you thank you!_

 **Guest:** _Wow, you sound like an author! "Spare them no mercy!" We'll have to wait and see. (Have you all seen the new information given to us thanks to the lovely CRWBY! :D There was a little bit more info on Qrow's semblance, which is definitely DEFINITELY USEFUL! Apparently "it's not necessarily constantly running." Qrow can also *choose* to amplify it in a fight. That seems to imply to me that he can also choose to dampen it? But, they didn't outright say anything about **preventing** it so you never know. But they did, honest to god, say that he *can* amplify it. So, he does have **some** control over it. Pretty cool, right?!) _

**Thank you all soo soooo much for sticking with me through this writing process! :DDD**

 **See you on the next chapter!**

 **-annawrites**


	32. Workaholic

"Good morning," Qrow murmured from where he still lay in bed. Winter was buttoning up a white dress shirt which she had pulled out from one of the many boxes that crowded their master bedroom.

"Good morning," she said. Finishing with the last of the buttons and buttoning her dress pants. "We have got to get these clothes put away."

"Mmhmm…" Qrow admired her from where he lay. She was so beautiful, he could hardly believe he could call her his wife. The dress shirt and pants seemed to make her look even more pregnant, which he knew she wouldn't appreciate, so he didn't say anything. But, god, she was so beautiful, carrying his child. "Come here," He said with a small smile.

"Qrow," Winter sighed, "You know have to get ready for work."

"Please," He held out his hand and she crossed the few steps to grasp it with her own. Qrow sat up, pulling her into a warm hug, embracing her middle where their son was safe. "I love you." She ran her free hand through his hair, and when it came to a rest at his shoulder, he gently took it with one of his hands and kissed her palm, lips lingering there for just a moment longer, breathing in the smell of her perfume.

"I love you too," she murmured, "But I do have to get ready for work."

"Can't you stay?" Qrow moaned, his hands tracing up her sides from her hips.

"You know I can't. And don't you have work as well?" Winter huffed. Qrow stood, standing a full head taller than her. She rested her hands on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Eh… the students can wait."

"The _students_ may be able to wait, but my ride to Vale certainly can't. Come on, Branwen, let me finish getting dressed." She pulled away gently.

"Alright, alright," He sighed. "For the price of a kiss?" Winter glanced up at him with a roll of her eyes,

"You're insufferable."

"Oh, I know," He grinned. She gently pressed her hand to his cheek and pulled him in, pressing her lips to his in a warm but chaste kiss.

"Now let me get ready," she said, grabbing he dark blue jacket from the hook on the back of their bedroom door. Qrow huffed, grabbing his own change of clothes. He did have several classes to teach, after all.

"When do you get maternity leave?" He asked, pulling on his pants.

"Not for another couple of months," Winter said, "There's really no need to worry, Qrow. I'm not doing field work or anything."

"Yeah, but you and I both know that working at a military base automatically puts a target on your back. If we were to go to war again…"

"But we haven't. Everything is totally fine right now, we both know that." She finished buttoning up her coat and turned to where Qrow was trying to button his own shirt. She gently wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in close to murmur, "You need to stop worrying, Branwen. I can look after myself."

"You're my wife, Winter," Qrow sighed, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her beautiful eyes, "I can't help it." She focused on him for a moment before closing the gap between their lips and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. The next thing he knew he was unbuttoning her coat, and she was pulling at his hair. When they both came to their senses she pulled away quickly,

"I really have to go," She breathed, straightening her hair and fixing the buttons on her coat.

"We'll finish this one tonight," he grinned, winking. Winter's cheeks tinted pink,

"Qrow, please…"

"What, Icequeen? I can't flirt with my _wife_?"

* * *

"There you are." Qrow slipped through the garden gate, but didn't move forward. Weiss Schnee, Ruby's best friend and Qrow's _sister-in-law,_ of all things, was sitting on one of the garden benches, hands clasped tightly around one of her school books. "I've been looking for you everywhere." The youngest of the Schnee sisters looked up from her book, glancing over him briefly as if _deigning_ to acknowledge his presence before focusing on her book again,

"I'm just working on some school work."

"Winter was getting worried about you, you haven't been home all day. It's a Saturday, Weiss. Everyone else came home. Tai, Ruby, and Yang were planning some sort of family picnic or something…"

"We have a report due on Monday," Weiss said firmly, "There's not any time for frivolous things such as…"

"Slow down," Qrow plopped down on the bench next to her, and before she could react he grasped her textbook and pulled it out of her hands.

"Hey!"

"You sound just like your sister."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Aren't you in love with my sister?" Weiss glared. Qrow laughed, snapping the book shut and setting it aside.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I _do_ love Winter, more than anything," He sighed, "But, she's a workaholic."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss snapped.

"Well, your asshole of a father could fit under that definition."

"You're comparing your _wife_ to our father." Weiss narrowed her eyes, "That's perfectly horrible."

"Oh, Winter's not to that extreme yet," Qrow said, "and it's not something that happens because you want it to. Both you and Winter are far from being like your father, Weiss, but if you keep on going with the whole 'work first' thing, you could certainly spin down that route. I think this is something Winter is learning slowly too," he smiled, "That work can't come first, or we'll hurt ourselves."

"Says the alcoholic."

"Ouch," Qrow grinned. "That one hit me hard, kid."

"Hey," Weiss huffed, "I'm your sister now, I deserve some respect."

"Hmm…" Qrow rubbed his chin, looking her up and down, "I suppose you're right." Weiss smiled brightly. "It's nice to have a sister who isn't gonna try and murder you at every turn…" There was a pause in the conversation. Qrow grabbed the textbook from his side of the bench and passed it over to Weiss, "You coming to the picnic, sis?" He stood slowly, stretching and straightening his shirt. Weiss shoved the book into her bag and stood as well,

"I suppose I should, after all, family functions are important!"

"Yeah, tell that to Raven," Qrow mumbled, shoving his hand in his pockets. "Alright, let's head home then," he smiled, "Winter will be relieved to see you're alright."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _Thank you, thank you! Don't feel apprehensive. It definitely isn't rude. Mostly it's embarrassment on my part, at first, because it's like "duh, a basic part of the world they live in?" But I'm always glad when you remind me. Ozpin and Oscar are going to be interesting, I think, as canon progresses. I do think what I've written is similar to Doctor Who, for sure. I also think I've drawn it from some of the things Ozpin himself has said. There have been several times where he references Oscar gaining his memories, and gaining muscle memory, right? One of the greatest examples of this is when Ozpin asks **Oscar** to describe Lionheart's office, and Oscar does it. He doesn't need any prompting from Ozpin. He even says "...that **I** gave him." Oscar is his own person, but he is also Ozpin. I think, honestly it will turn out very similarly to the way Doctor Who works. Yup yup. I'm excited for the wedding, but the baby has to be born first! :D_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yes! I imagine that too, though... I think if there was "arguing" it would mostly be teasing between the parents._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Ah yes, that fateful thing called life. I feel you. That's a tough thing. I think I always remind myself or RWBY and RWBY chibi, just because it's one of the highlights of my week. Like, I'll take a break from schoolwork just to watch the episode and it's always a good time. So, I'm always on it pretty quick because, it's a GREAT excuse to not do schoolwork. I am also soooo eager to find out what the baby will be like (I have no idea. It's gonna be an adventure for us all!)_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Yass a boyyyy! I'm so excited too! I can't wait for him to be born! :D I'm glad you all liked the teams issue, I wasn't sure... Yeah, see Nina Vale's comment for more details on what I think about Oscar and Ozpin. I had to look those ships up on tumblr to see what they were. hmm... shades of red and wise dragon. But I looked them up and cute! I don't really ship yang with anyone, so basically, I'd be happy as long as she's happy. :) And as for Ruby, I do ship her a little with Oscar. But we'll see what happens._

 **Gunnrdgr8:** _*raises a hard cider* YAS!_

 **Kurogaya:** _I knowwww! That new info on Qrow's semblance is so important! I love that yeah, he's still a bad luck charm, but to a certain extent he does have some control over it. Like I said, he can amplify it, perhaps in some ways he can dull it as well. I don't know. I hope you liked this chapter too!_

 **Thank you all for the amazing reviews! See you next time! :DD**

 **-annawrites**


	33. Aunt Winter

**Hello, all! :D I have returned. I'm so sorry, it's been long, and I'm so sorry this is a shorter chapter. My quarter at school just finished up and I had a TON of essays to write, but now I'm finally free and home! I hope to do a lot more writing these next couple of weeks before the spring quarter starts! :D**

 **Enjoy this short little thing!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need help, Tai?" Winter sighed, watching as the blond dashed about his kitchen, grabbing this and that and shoving it into the picnic basket.

"Yup. You just rest. If I let you work and Qrow walks in on it, he'll kill me," Tai said, shoving a pile of napkins into the basket.

"Aunt Winter!" Ruby gasped, hopping down the last step and racing forward to give Winter an enormous hug. "Aw, and little cousin!"

"Oh…!" Winter tensed for a moment, but sighed, loosening up a little. She was slowly getting used to Ruby and Yang's hugs, (Ruby's being way more frequent).

"Has he kicked yet?" Ruby murmured, hands still pressed against Winter's middle.

"No, not yet," Winter shook her head.

"Ruby," Tai said, "Leave your aunt alone and go find Zwei."

Ruby straightened up with a bounce, saluted her father, shouted, "On it!" and then dashed out the back door. Only moments after the back door shut, the front door burst open and Qrow sauntered in, followed by Winter's sister. Winter let out a sigh of relief and hurried over to pull her sister into a hug.

"Weiss! Thank goodness you're alright," she said, "We've been looking all over for you."

"I was just studying. I'm sorry you were worried," Weiss said, giving her sister a short hug. When Winter straightened up her husband was leaning against the wall by the kitchen, hands in his pockets.

"I'm fine too, in case anyone was wondering," he said with a grin. Winter rolled her eyes and reached out to take his hand. When he stood up straight she pulled him into a quick kiss.

"I'm glad you're fine, Mr. Branwen," she purred, "It'd be a shame if I'd have to come and rescue you. _Again."_

"Oh, har har…" Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"Would you two quit flirting in my kitchen?!" Tai gasped, exasperated, "I'm trying to finish packing lunch!"

"Alright, alright. Don't get all flustered, we're leaving. Icequeen should sit down and take a breather anyways," Qrow said, wrapping an arm protectively around his wife.

"I'm fine," Winter huffed, but she let Qrow lead her into Tai's living room.

"You sit here," Qrow said, "I'll help Tai finish packing—"

"No, you won't!" Tai shouted from the kitchen.

"Like I said, I _won't_ help Tai finish packing." Qrow plopped down on the sofa next to Winter. She sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.

"How's the kiddo?"

"Fine, as far as I can tell." She smiled. She had hoped that this week would be the week their son would start kicking, but so far there had been no such luck. Unless she counted the butterflies that had kept her up last night, that twitching feeling that she had attributed to hunger.

"Mm…" Qrow pulled her into a hug, and kissed the top of her head.

There was another flutter in her middle, more pronounced this time. She frowned, gently pressing a hand against her swollen belly. Qrow didn't seem to notice at first but when he saw her expression his eyes grew wide,

"Winter? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I've just had this weird sensation for a bit now, like a fluttering—"

"A fluttering?" Tai interrupted, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. "Both Raven and Summer described Yang and Ruby's first movements as a fluttering…" Winter blinked, trying to process what Tai was saying, when she felt movement again and she _knew_ that it was true. Their baby was kicking. She quickly grasped Qrow's hand and pressed it against her middle, and when she saw his expression of confusion change to awe she couldn't help but grin.

" _Our_ son," she whispered. For a moment they just sat there, grinning at each other. And then Qrow pulled his wife into a tight embrace. Reality came crashing down on her again, she was having a child— _his_ child. It filled her soul with immeasurable joy, she could feel Qrow's arms tighten around her shoulders, like he would never let her go. His breath tickled her ear, and gentle words murmured against her cheek: " _I love you."_ What this all meant to him, she couldn't possibly comprehend it. Though she knew that he had never once expected that he would have the gift of a child. She hadn't ever expected to be this blessed either.

* * *

 **Reviews for the last chapter:**

 **Celestia's Paladin:** _Are you kiddiiinngggg! That episode of rwby chibi gave me lifeeee! :DDDDD_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yes! Qrow and Winter compliment each other in that way. Qrow's going to teach Winter the importance of family, and I think in many ways Winter will teach Qrow the importance of responsibility. :PPP_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Aw yes! Best kind of husband. :) I'm really excited to learn more about Oscar and Ozpin in volume 6._

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _Yess! Qrow is gonna be a awesome, awesome dad! :P_

 **Kurogaya:** _Yeah... I think some of these chapters are shorter. You can definitely tell when I start having a lot more homework... :| I'm free now though, so hopefully the chapters will be a little longer._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yeah! Their family is pretty weird, but I love it. And I love that Weiss and Qrow can begin to get along like this._

 **Nina Vale:** _Yes! Qrow is 100% gonna drive Winter insane. :PPP I'm excited to write all that, it's gonna be fun. I agree, I would really like to see Oscar remain mainly in charge, over Ozpin. I hope we learn more about how it works in volume 6._

 **thanks for all the reviews! :D**

 **I'll have a _much_ longer chapter next time (which will be soon because I'm freeeeeee)**

 **-annawrites**


	34. Grimm

**Guys I'm dying because I just want the volume 5 soundtrack to be released, please send help.**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

Vale's Atlesian base was close enough to the now Grimm-infested Beacon Academy, that Qrow knew there would be dangers on the base. He knew that they'd have troubles with the elevated Grimm population in the area, but he never expected it to be as bad as it was the day before Winter's maternity leave started. He had been halfway through his lunch break before he heard anything about there being a massive grimm attack at Vale's Atlesian military base, and by then the attack was already hours under way.

He had been sitting, halfway through his sandwich and his flask when the alarm went off on his phone. Something about calling huntsmen to action. His blood ran cold when he read where help was needed. His sandwich was subsequently tossed aside and he was on the next quick shuttle to Vale from Patch.

The outer rim of the base was in flames, and chaos had erupted inside. Hoards of Ursa and Beowolves had overrun the courtyard at the main entrance to the base, and many of Ironwood's soldiers were fighting back the monsters, trying desperately to keep them from harming civilians, or getting further into the city. Qrow pulled his sword from his back but didn't stop to help the soldiers. _They look like they have it under control._ He knew his brain was trying to justify the actions of his heart, and as a huntsman he knew that he shouldn't let his personal fears get in the way of helping others, but he couldn't help himself. He _had_ to find his wife. She was somewhere in the base, in danger! Or hurt! And their child! He had come so far without bad luck, it couldn't end like this. Qrow wouldn't be able to live if he lost either of them. It would be a cruel, cruel joke for nature to play on him after all this time of finally seeming to be lucky.

He burst through the front doors of the base. Smoke was filling the halls, fire crackling and gnawing at the walls. He choked on the thick black smoke as it filled his lungs, and quickly he pulled his cape over his shoulder and wrapped it around his mouth.

"Winter?!" His shouts were muffled behind his cloak, and below the sound of roaring flames and the distant howls of beowolves. "Winter?!" Panic was beginning to fill him as he made his way down the familiar path to his office. Of course, he had never been technically _allowed_ to visit her office… he was so glad now that he had never really followed that rule. "Winter!"

There was a distant sound of a fight drew his attention, and as he continued making his way down the hall it grew louder. As he spun around the corner, through the thick, foul-smelling smoke he saw her, backed against the wall and facing an ursa and two beowolves. She had an arm of her jacket torn off and wrapped around her face. Her swords glinted in her hands, smoke stained her white uniform, and there was a red streak across her leg where she had obviously been wounded. The moment Qrow saw the red on the white of her uniform his chest felt tight and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Only a second later his hands now held a scythe and he let out a yell of anger, diving towards the grimm that surrounded his wife. It was over only an instant later, but Qrow's knees were still shaking.

"Qrow… Qrow?!" Winter was coughing through the smoke, and he felt her hands grip his shirt tightly.

"We have to get you out of here," Qrow gasped, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?!" Winter gasped.

"Try not to talk," Qrow said, "The smoke…" He finished with a coughing fit and quickly began leading Winter out of the building. The moment they were in the clear open air, Qrow pulled his wife over to a bench and sat her down. She was coughing hard. Qrow's knees felt like they were going to buckle any second. Winter pulled the cloth away from her face, trying to get deeper breathes of clean air.

"Medic over here!" Qrow rasped, trying to breathe through his own polluted lungs. He waved the arriving nurse away from himself and gestured to Winter, who was still coughing. Moments later she was hooked up to oxygen and asked to breathe deeply. Qrow hadn't really paid much attention to what was going on outside when he first came out, but it was clear now that the battle was over. Soldiers were helping firefighters try and put out the flames still growing on the building. Others were being attended to by medical help. Blood soaked into cobblestone. Qrow tried not to think about it soaking into Winter's uniform, it made him nauseous.

"Qrow," Winter's voice was hoarse, her eyes red and watering from the sting of the smoke. "What are you doing here?" She looked a little pissed, and Qrow frowned. "I had it completely under control."

"Winter. You're almost eight months pregnant," Qrow whispered. For the first time since before he started school his hands were shaking. Winter glanced down towards them and when she saw them her eyes widened and she immediately reached out to take his hand. He gently set his hand in hers and she squeezed it tight.

"I'm sorry, I know this is bad," she said, bringing his hand up to her lips. "Are you alright?" He was quiet for a moment, the nurse, now that Winter was alright, was hooking him up to oxygen. He shook his head slowly, pulled the oxygen mask off for a moment so he could speak.

"I've never been so scared of losing you." Winter pulled him down to sit next to her, and wrapped an arm around him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere, Branwen," she kissed his temple, and then his jaw. "I love you too much for that"

"I'm just glad you'll be on leave tomorrow, finally." Winter winced as the words left his mouth.

"About that…"

"No, no," Qrow pulled the mask off his face, "Absolutely not. You're not going back to work. James can take care of this mess, you need to take care of yourself."

"Qrow—"

"Sir, you need to be wearing that mask."

"It's too dangerous, and I won't lose you or the baby, okay? You can't do this to me, you nearly gave me a heart attack today—"

"Sir, please put the mask back on."

"Qrow," Winter grasped his mask and put it back over his nose and mouth. "I'm commander of this base, I _have_ to be here to help rebuild everything that's been destroyed, and reinforce it—" Qrow yanked off his mask again,

"No. James already approved the maternity leave—" Winter shoved the mask back on his face.

"I—"

" _I_ think I can help both of you with this predicament," James Ironwood was standing above the two of them, arms crossed. Even Qrow could admit that the man looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had let his chin and jaw grow a dark stubble.

"General!" Winter tried to stand up quickly, but Ironwood raised a hand.

"Stay seated, please, Commander."

Qrow narrowed his eyes, "How in the world did you get here so…?"

"I was really already on my way," James shrugged, "I had stopped at Fort Westwood for a meeting with the commander there, but when I heard about the attack I left immediately to come help. Winter, your husband is right." Qrow was certain he was hearing things, he put his hand on his chest in mock shock,

"Whaattt… James Ironwood _agreeing_ with me?"

"Shut up, Branwen," Winter rolled her eyes, "Sir, please, I could really help with repairs and—"

"That's out of the question," James sighed, "You need to take care of yourself, Commander, and the baby."

Winter opened her mouth to protest once more but decided against it, "You're right."

"Great, I'm glad you can agree with the general, but not your _husband,_ " Qrow huffed.

"Qrow, you should take her home. You both need rest," James hesitated, "Commander, if you could send me a written report of this incident as your last duty before your official leave, I would be eternally grateful."

"Perfect, something you can do from our house." Qrow said firmly.

"Of course, I'll fill out the report right away," Winter nodded, giving her husband a glare.

"I'll be sure to stop by once I have this all under control, please… both of you, go get some rest." Qrow didn't have to be asked twice. He stood, though his knees were still shaking, and held out a hand to help Winter to her feet. Together they took another shuttle out from Vale to Patch, and they were on their way home before they knew it. They were both silent in the car for most of the drive back into the country before Qrow finally spoke.

"Did he seem a little… more irritable than usual?" He asked. Winter glanced over at him with a sigh. One hand was resting on her swollen belly, she looked exhausted. Her face was covered in soot, her uniform all ripped up, her hair a mess… Qrow hated seeing her like this. It scared him.

"I don't know. I suppose he did seem a little… off…"

"I wonder if he told us the truth about why he was so close already," Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Maybe that's what it is."

"Despite your constant condemnations, Qrow, James is a good man. He was probably telling the truth, and even if he wasn't he would have good reasons not to." Qrow dropped the subject when he saw Winter drifting off to sleep against the window of their truck. Her hands both resting across her baby belly, he watched as her breath came in steady and calmly. He smiled, eyes focusing back on the road. _She's alright… they're both safe._

When they pulled back into their driveway Winter was still asleep. Tai was waiting for them on the front porch, his eyes wide with worry. When he saw Qrow get out of the truck alone he dashed over to his brother and grabbed his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?!" He breathed, "I heard the news about the base in Vale and—"

"Winter and the baby are both fine." Qrow sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's asleep." Tai visibly relaxed, letting out a deep sigh.

"Thank goodness." Qrow carefully opened the passenger door of the truck and let Winter slip into his arms. She stirred, but didn't wake. Tai led the way to the house, opening the front door. Qrow nodded a silent thanks and then carried his wife upstairs to their bedroom. Her uniform was a mess, and he _knew_ she was going to yell at him when she woke up for not waking her to change into pajamas before laying her down in their bed, but he just wanted her to sleep for now. She needed rest. As he pulled the comforter up to her shoulder he leaned over and let his lips linger at her cheek for a moment before he flicked off the light and quietly left the room.

Tai was waiting downstairs, leaning against the counter in the kitchen. He had started a pot of coffee, which Qrow was grateful for. Neither of the men said anything for a few moments.

"Thanks, Tai," Qrow murmured, crossing his arms.

"I'm just glad everyone's safe," the blond said with a sigh. "I got the message on my scroll, but I was outside with the kids in the garden and my scroll was in the house, so I didn't get it until I also got another message that said the situation was under control. I could only hope that Winter…"

"She's going to be fine," Qrow let himself smile. "The kids are home?"

"Class was dismissed early," Tai frowned, "Their teachers wouldn't say why, I guess it must have been the grimm attack. I wish I could have helped."

"It was fine. Ironwood's soldiers had it under control, really. I only went to get Winter out of there." He shuddered involuntarily, "I was so…" He glanced over at his brother, "I was _shaking_ I was so… terrified I would lose her." He hated admitting it to Tai, but it seemed like he was the only person to really confide in.

"I remember that feeling," Tai said, a small smile forming on his lips, "When Raven was pregnant with Yang, and then again when Summer…" He trailed off, "Maybe even more so with Summer."

"Come to think of it, I do recall you acting very, very strange when Summer was pregnant," Qrow grinned. "I think it was the first time I ever saw you punch someone for no good reason."

"Hey!" Tai gasped, "It was _not_ for _no reason._ He was looking at her funny!"

"Hmm… now _that_ rings a bell. Is that what you told the police officer?"

"Now you're just making things up, there were no police."

"I'm not making anything up. It's all coming back to me now—"

"It was just me, you, that random guy, Summer—"

"And the police."

"No-!"

"Woah! Police? What kind of trouble did you two get into today?" Yang was leaning against the doorframe of the front door, her arms crossed.

"Hey, firecracker." Qrow grinned.

"No trouble today," Tai sighed, "Uncle Qrow is just making up things that _never happened._ "

"That's a lie," Qrow said, pointing at Tai with a frown, "I was just remembering a time when your dad was a rebel."

"There was no _rebelling!"_ Tai gasped.

"Okay, now I _have_ to hear this story," Yang grinned, as she stepped into the kitchen, shutting the front door behind her. Qrow laughed,

"I'll be happy to oblige."

"Qrow!"

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Nina Vale:** _Qrow is always going to have that idea itching at the back of his mind: that he's dangerous, that he doesn't deserve happiness, that he's going to inevitably hurt Winter and their child, but I think he is going stronger, and slowly learning to overcome that. It won't disappear overnight. "Qrow's nesting phase" is literally what I live for. That's the best thing I've ever heard of and I'm trying to decide if I like the idea of Qrow being more of a nesting freak or Winter being more of a nesting freak... hmm... Winter's definitely the type of person to be demanding that the house is clean for the arrival of their little bundle of joy... but Qrow definitely has the whole bird thing going on. Both. both is good. :P Its not invasive at all! Actually, I'm not Italian. If I was, I'm certain my English would be as bad as my Italian is (it's... sort of passable if I really need something but I'm so so so far from fluent. Mostly I can use it when I go to the store of a restaurant or need directions). Actually, I was born and raised here in the states, but I did just return from studying abroad in Italy. So I lived in Italy for close to three months!_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Awww yes! I'm so excited for everyone to meet the little guy! He's going to be perfectly darling. I know it. :D_

 **Kurogaya:** _3 Qrow and Winter are ready to meet the newest addition! :))_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Awww! I'm so glad you liked it! It turned out to be way shorter than I thought it was._

 **Akira-Hayama:** _I'm glad you enjoyed it. I definitely want to bring in more family interaction, as you can see with the end of this chapter. :D_

 **bwburke94:** _Ehhh... I think Ruby and Weiss are still gonna be on a first-name basis sort of thing. They're friends, and besides, I don't think I've ever met my Aunt's (married to my mom's brother) sister. If I did, I'm not sure I'd call her anything special. :P_

 **evolvedbookdragon:** _Thank you so much! I'm glad you're still enjoying it. That was a rather long break, I think, between chapters... so I wasn't sure if people would still be reading it. :O I'm glad you all are! I'm definitely having fun writing it!_

 **Thank you, all for your amazing reviews and for taking the time to read this fanfic!**

 **-annawrites**


	35. Maternity Leave

**I go back to school on Mondayyyyy aughhhh... I'm not ready. :((((**

 **Enjoy this chapter! :D I hope I can keep up with writing once I'm back in school. :|**

 **Thanks for sticking with this all the way to Chapter 35! :D**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

James came to visit two weeks later after he had finally gotten everything under control back in Vale. It had only been two weeks and Winter had been going insane. Despite the fact that she had constant visitors in the form of her new nieces and their friends, and despite the fact that Qrow was trying his best to keep her entertained in innumerable different ways, she was unbelievably bored. So when James Ironwood came she was happy to have a distraction from her required afternoon bed rest.

"I came to see how you're doing," James smiled a little, but Winter could see the worry in his eyes. She hated it when he was worried.

"I'm fine," She said, leaning back against the arm of the couch. The doctor had told her that she had to keep her feet up for a little bit in the afternoon—at least an hour. "You really don't have to worry about me, General. I have an enormous handful of people who all desperately want to take care of me."

"Hey!" Qrow gasped from the kitchen. He popped out a moment later, "I heard that, and do I sense a tinge of resentment?"

Winter sighed, "No, of course not. I've just run out of things to do. I've been bored…"

James perked up a little, "I'm glad. Because I need your help—"

"Woah, woah…" Qrow narrowed his eyes. "What did we say about working?"

"No, nothing like that, Qrow," James sighed, "This is more of a personal matter."

"Personal?" Winter frowned. What was he talking about?

"I… Glynda and I, as you both have already consistently and _annoyingly_ guessed," he looked pointedly at Qrow, "are together. We've recently… well… we've been taking care of two little ones who we've both found. Their parents, we believe, were killed in the war."

"Are you saying that you and Glynda have kids?" Qrow asked, and then he grinned. Winter knew that expression: he was ready to give the general a hard time.

"That's not what I'm saying. We're just taking care of the kids until we learn more about their parents." It was a lie, Winter could see it in his eyes. When he talked about them there was a softness there. He was already attached to them.

"So… what does this have to do with me?" Winter asked, "Doesn't Glynda live in Mistral now?"

"Actually, this is a request for the both of you," James sighed. "Glynda wants to go home to Vale. She misses it, and I guess I can understand that. Besides, for now… both of us think Vale is the safest place for the kids to be. With Beacon already destroyed, Vale is unlikely to be attacked if the war flares up again. We purchased a house in the main city, and we bought Glynda and the kids tickets for transportation but something happened with the house payment and things have been delayed. I told Glynda she really doesn't have to worry about the tickets. They weren't that much, but she's being… stubborn," James sighed. "So…Glynda and the kids are going to need a place to stay for a week or so."

"You want them to stay with us?" Qrow asked.

"Well…" Winter hesitated, "We _do_ have extra rooms here. _And_ it would be nice to have some extra company." In reality, she was overjoyed about the idea of having Glynda come visit, and she was even more excited to meet the children she and Ironwood were caring for. Qrow was grinning,

"Well, sure. Of course they can stay here." Winter rolled her eyes. She knew there'd be no end of teasing James later, but Qrow looked genuinely excited about the idea of having Glynda and the kids staying with them for a little while.

"You both really mean it?" James looked so relieved it made Winter laugh a little.

"Of course," she said, "It will be so good to see Glynda! And to meet the little ones!"

"Well… uh…" He laughed, "They're not _ours yet."_

" _Yet,_ " Qrow grinned, "So you _are_ adopting them. Jimmy's gonna be a dad. That's something you don't hear every day."

"You know," James rolled his eyes, "I thought the same thing when I found out that _you_ were going to be a dad." He shrugged his shoulders, and then turned towards the door. "Well… I can't thank either of you enough for this. Glynda and the kids are supposed to arrive in Vale next Tuesday. They can take a shuttle over here, if one of you were to pick them up…"

"Of course," Winter nodded. "Qrow can pick them up. He has to go into town for work anyways."

"Right," Qrow nodded.

"Thank you, both," James sighed. "I'll be back as soon as the house is ready for all our things."

"Anytime, Jimmy," Qrow said, leading the man towards the door. "Just let us know. Send us a message or something. We're always willing to help."

James offered Winter a smile over Qrow's shoulder, "See you both soon."

* * *

"What are you thinking?" Qrow murmured in her ear that night. She had been trying to sleep for the past two hours, and she wasn't really in the mood.

"I'm thinking I really wish baby would stop kicking me so I could sleep," she snapped, and she immediately regretted it when she felt Qrow's arm draw away from her side. "I'm sorry, Qrow, I… I'm just tired…"

"Hey…" He gently wrapped his arm around her waist again, "It's alright, Ice Queen… I wish I could help." He kissed her shoulder, and then rested his forehead against her neck.

"You _are_ helping, just by being here. I don't know what I'd do without you? I don't think I could do it."

"Of course you could," Qrow said, "You're the strongest woman I know, Winter. You can do anything." Winter smiled, not as bothered by the strong tapping at her middle. Qrow's warm arms brought her comfort and she sighed, feeling much more content.

"Can you believe Glynda and James have _kids_?!" She grinned, knowing that Qrow wouldn't be able to handle not talking about it for much longer. Qrow chuckled hoarsely behind her.

"No, I can _hardly_ believe it," he said, "I'm excited to meet them. I wonder what they're like… where they came from… I wonder… did you see the way Jimmy looked when he talked about them?"

"Yes," Winter smiled a little, remembering the General's expression. She had recalled seeing the same look in his eyes whenever he spoke of Glynda. "He's happy." It had been so long, though, since she had seen the general like that—with that shine in his eyes, like he had something to look forward to. It made her happy as well. She would never have admitted it before, but both she and the general had the same mindset: they were both workaholics to the core. Qrow and this baby were teaching her to be happier, to be more relaxed—less completely focused on work. She wondered if James Ironwood found the same thing in Glynda and their two little ones.

"I think so too," Qrow said, he sounded thoughtful, "I don't think I've ever seen him look that way before. He always seems so stressed."

"I've seen him like that once or twice, usually when he's talking to Glynda," she said. Qrow laughed again,

"Of course."

"I'm falling asleep," Winter murmured. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Her son had finally stopped kicking her side and had calmed down.

"Alright," Qrow sat up and leaned over to kiss her swollen belly, "Goodnight, kiddo." Winter tried to suppress a laugh as his lips tickled her side. Qrow grinned, sitting up straight again,

"I didn't know you were _that_ ticklish, Ice Queen."

"Qrowww, I need to sleep," she groaned.

"Alright, alright…" he leaned over, pressing his lips to hers for a lingering moment. "I love you."

"I love you too, Branwen," she breathed, kissing him again, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Aw yeah! Winter definitely does need to start listening to Qrow. I think she's becoming better at that, but it's taking time. I think, especially in this chapter she's beginning to realize that with a baby on the way she **does** need to start taking it easy. lol, of **course** she listens to James more than Qrow. After all, he is her superior officer. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Aw! I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, as much as worry in fics can be... uh... for lack of a better word: worrying. But it's also so good. Just like in real life, these troubles really only make their relationship stronger-I think. Ah, I just love them so much. They're really a good team. lollll! Omg, 40 isn't **that far,** Qrow, better watch out! :P_

 **bwburke94:** _Thank goodness! I definitely **need** that soundtrack! ;)_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _They are going to be amazing parents! I cannot WAIT for when the baby's born, because those chapters are going to be so fun to write! :DDD_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _Sorrrryyyy! :O I hope this chapter made it better. Omg! I'm so, so glad you like it! Thank you for reading!_

 **Kurogaya:** _Indeed, and I don't think he'll ever **not** be worried. :)_

 **Thank you all for reading and leaving awesome reviews!**

 **See you on the next chapter!**

 **-annawrites**


	36. Ironwood Family

Qrow hopped out of his truck to find Glynda Goodwitch waiting for him by the docks, her hair was in its usual neat bun, but she looked more at ease than she usually did when he saw her at the academy. At her feet were several suitcases, and at her side were two small children, partially hiding behind her knee-length skirt.

"Glynda," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. He knew that the headmistress didn't really like him. She had always _trusted_ him, sure, but she had never pretended to appreciate his methods _or_ his antics. She had mostly trusted him for Ozpin's sake, Qrow had always known that. Now, she would be staying at his house… it seemed strange. At least she got along well with Winter.

"Qrow!" Glynda actually graced him with a genuine smile, "It's good to see you!" Then her voice took on a serious tone, "I can't thank you and Winter enough for this generosity."

"Anytime!" Qrow shrugged, "Our door's always open." He crouched down so he was eye level with the two kids. They were cowering further behind Glynda, clutching her hands tightly. They looked so young, the oldest—a girl—couldn't be more than six or seven. "Hey," Qrow smiled, speaking softly, "My name's Qrow. What are your names?" The children both remained hidden, and Glynda sighed and shook her head,

"It's alright, dears, Qrow is a friend. Can you tell him what your names are?" The girl was the first to slip a little bit out of Glynda's shadow. Qrow immediately recognized her as a faunus. She was rather thin, with big brown eyes and short fawn colored curls. She had little doe ears poking out of her hair, and white freckles dotted her dark cheeks.

"My name is Autumn," she whispered. Her voice was so soft that Qrow could barely hear it.

"Hey, that's a nice name," he said, holding out his hand, "It's nice to meet you Autumn." Autumn hesitated for a moment before she stepped away from Glynda all together, (though still held tightly to her hand), and she carefully took Qrow's hand in hers. When her brother saw her get away from the hand shake unscathed he stepped a little ways out from behind Glynda and Qrow got a good look at him as well. He must have been four or five. He had unkempt, sandy-blond hair, and wide, aquamarine eyes. He mumbled something, but Qrow managed to just barely catch his name.

"Marin? That's a great name! Do you like the ocean?" Marin shrugged his shoulders.

"This was the first time Marin's seen the ocean," Glynda said.

"Well, we'll have to go to the beach sometime." Qrow offered Marin his hand and the young boy took it and shook it loosely. "Nice to meet you, kiddo." He stood, and grabbed a couple of the family's suitcases. "I'll get all this into the truck, and we'll see if we can't get you all settled back at home."

The drive home was relatively peaceful. Qrow glanced back every so often at the two kids sitting in his back seat. Their eyes watched the trees and the road signs pass in awe. He wondered how long they had been alone before James and Glynda found them.

"So, uh… when did you and James decide to adopt?"

"We haven't," Glynda said, and Qrow noticed a tinge of sadness in her voice, "We're still waiting for official news about Marin and Autumn's parents. It _is_ likely, though, that… well… we really don't think the children's parents are alive."

"And the kids?"

"They're doing better. They're talking more. As you can tell, they're still very hesitant about strangers."

"I mean, what do they think of you and James?" Qrow said.

"Oh… Well, I can't speak for myself, but I know they both adore James," a smile formed on Glynda's lips as she reminisced. "He loves them both so much. Whenever he's home he's always making time to do things with them. He reads them stories, plays with them, builds forts with them… really he just makes them feel so at home. Marin… Marin's already started calling him daddy." Qrow could see tears glistening at her eyelashes. "I think he really needed that. When he first said it James was getting ready to leave again, and… Marin…" she paused and took a breath, "Marin was begging him not to leave. It nearly broke James' heart in half."

Qrow wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't feel how James had felt in that moment, not even close. But with Winter expecting a baby, he could imagine it. Being a father was going to be the hardest, most rewarding thing he could ever be. It was already breaking his heart, and his son hadn't even arrived yet. "Well, I can tell they both look up to you," he said, "They both love you."

Glynda smiled, "Thank you, Qrow. That means a lot."

When they arrived at the house Winter was sitting on the front porch with a kettle of tea. When she saw them pull up she slowly managed to get to her feet, pushing herself up from her chair. She was so much closer to her due date now, she had entered a phase that was driving Qrow insane. Everything had to be perfectly clean at all times, and the nursery… dear gods, the nursery. It was her eternally-unfinished project. Nothing was ever perfect. Nothing was ever just right. He hoped for the sake of his own sanity that Glynda being here would distract her, even if it was just for a little bit.

While Glynda carefully helped Autumn and Marin out of the truck, Qrow grabbed several suitcases and carried them towards the house. Winter quickly opened the front door for him. Before he stepped inside he managed to ask,

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, I promise. You should take those to the guest room."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Once all the luggage was delivered to the guest bedroom, Qrow found Winter meeting the little ones. They were just barely warming up to her when Marin mumbled something that wasn't a part of the introductions.

"What's that, dear?" Glynda frowned, trying to hear him. Luckily Autumn caught what he said and happily announced:

"He wants to know why your belly is so big."

"Oh!" Winter beamed.

"I'm sorry," Glynda sighed, "Children, it's not very nice to say things like that."

"No, Glynda, it's fine. I'll tell you both, do you want to know?" Winter asked. Both Marin and Autumn nodded, enraptured. Qrow grinned and leaned against the doorframe to watch. Winter was surprisingly good with kids. Something like a small bit of pride mixed with an immense amount of love filled his heart. He couldn't wait to raise their son with her.

"Well, it's because I'm going to have a baby."

"A baby?" Autumn frowned, cocking her head a little. "That doesn't make sense!"

"It's true," Winter said, placing her hands on her belly, "When a mommy has a baby the baby has to stay protected and grow here for a little bit, before its strong enough to be born."

"Are you kidding?" Autumn said, still looking rather skeptical. Qrow tried to suppress a laugh.

"No, I'm perfectly serious," Winter said. "The baby's here, right now. He's almost strong enough to come out. Then we'll all get to meet him."

Marin reached out in wonderment, and touched a hand to Winter's swollen belly, "A baby is dere?" He asked, and for the first time his voice was perfectly clear.

"Yes," Winter nodded.

"Wow…"

"It's a boy?" Autumn asked, "How do you know?"

"Well, I went to the doctors one day and they were able to tell me when they used a special machine to see the baby."

"If it's a boy what are you going to call him?" Qrow's eyes locked with his wife's. They hadn't really thought about names yet… not really, which was kind of ridiculous because… wasn't _naming_ the baby one of the most important parts of _having a baby_?

"We haven't picked out one name yet. But we'll be sure to let you know when he's born, okay?"

"Okay!" Autumn said with a bright smile.

"Alright, children," Glynda said, "Lets go see our room and make sure we have all our things organized, okay? We don't want to bother Mrs. Branwen too much, she has to rest so that she can be ready when it's time for the baby to come." Qrow directed Glynda and the kids to the guest room, and then slipped back outside onto the front porch where his wife was waiting. She slid into his embrace easily, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"So, uh… baby names, huh?" Qrow chuckled.

Winter sighed, "Yeah… baby names."

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **FeugoFox42:** _Thanks so much! I'm hoping to explore these new characters later in another... secret... thing that I will begin working on soon. ;) Thanks, I'm working my way through it... D:_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yes, I can imagine James blames himself for the kids being orphans, of course, with the war being so prominent in their history. Qrow, I think, is **always** gonna be worried. _

**Dorngok Sekker:** _Yesssss! :DDD Ironwitch for liffeeee!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Aww... I hate it when people say Qrow hates kids because come on! Haven't you seen him interact with his nieces?! It's darling and he's going to actually absolutely fall in love with his son, and then each of his children after that. :)))))) And YES winter is going to mellttt! THAT is going to be a fun scene to write!_

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _yas! Jamessss! 3 :D_

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yeah! I've always imagined James becoming a dad, but I meant it to be a slower transformation. It's hard to do that in a story that's about someone completely different though. If this were from James and Glynda's POV you'd all see that transformation take place slowly. I'm glad you like the interactions, I hope you liked meeting Autumn and Marin as well?_

 **Galven:** _lmao, perfect! "suffering from the disease of common sense" ... yup! That's James._

 **Guest:** _Augh! Cruel! Usually our quarters don't start on mondays, they start on wednesdays. So this quarter is being rude. :(_

 **Thank you all for the amazing reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!**

 **-annawrites**


	37. Bad Dream

**Because it's been so long, my friendships, I am giving you all two chapters today! I hope you enjoy them both. I have the next one written as well, so it's just a matter of posting it. (I am so lazy save me).**

 **Enjoy these, friends!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

Qrow was used to waking up in the middle of the night, but he never had, in his life, woken to a sound like this. A tortured wailing filled the entire house, like a child was being tortured. Qrow sprung out of bed as if he had been electrocuted. Winter blinked awake, struggling to throw the blankets off of her. Qrow had already grasped his scythe,

"Stay here."

"I'm coming—"

"Please, Winter," he shook his head, "Stay here." The wailing had filtered down and away, but Qrow knew there was only one place in the house where they had small children—and that was Glynda's room. Her door was cracked open, and it seemed silent, but it was only a moment before Qrow heard Glynda's voice,

"Shh… Marin, go back to sleep, dear." she whispered. Qrow sighed, deposited his scythe in the hall and rapped lightly on her door. Glynda appeared at the doorway, she looked tired. Marin was cradled in her arms, his face pressed against her shoulder, his little hands, clutching her shirt, his cheeks wet with tears.

"Are you both alright?" Qrow asked. Glynda offered him a small smile.

"We're fine, thank you. Marin has nightmares," she hesitated, "You know, Vale…" She closed her eyes and kissed the top of her adopted son's hand, "He's alright now."

Qrow nodded, "Good. I'm gonna let you two try and sleep then."

"Sorry for waking you, Qrow," Glynda sighed.

"It's fine, really. I'm glad you're both alright." Qrow grabbed his scythe and made his way back down the hall towards his and his wife's room.

He spoke as he entered, "Marin, had a bad dream, poor kid—" Winter was sitting up in bed, her eyes shut tight. Qrow could see she was biting her lip, drawing blood, a drop of which was running down her chin. Her hands were gripping their sheets like they were her lifeline.

"Winter!" He dashed to her side, grasping her shoulder. She released the sheets with one hand and grabbed his arm so tightly, he was sure she was cutting off his circulation. "Winter…?!"

She let out a groan, and then her grip loosened and she regained her composure with a gasp of breath, leaning against him slight. After a moment, she dropped her head to his shoulder, her hand—previously gripping his arm—traveled up to his shoulder.

"I'm… sorry…" she breathed, "Just another Braxton Hicks." It had been Glynda who had assured them that Winter was experiencing Braxton Hicks, or "practice" contractions. They had, of course, read about them, and their doctor had warned them that they were common in the third trimester, but in their first-child panic, it hadn't occurred to them that this contractions weren't the real thing. "It's just another… Braxton hicks… I'm fine."

"What." Qrow's voice came out surprisingly high, and it cracked as he spoke, " _Just Another?!_ "

"I'm fine…" she breathed, "See, it's over. I'm fine." Qrow didn't feel like she was fine. His entire body was shaking—he felt panicked. "Qrow, look at me." His eyes met hers, her blue eyes were hones, wide, she wasn't in pain anymore. She leaned over and kissed him gently, pressing a warm hand to his cheek. "Sorry for worrying you, Branwen," she smiled, her lips still brushing against his. "I love you."

He sighed, pulling her into a tight hug, "I love you too, both of you."

How in the world was he going to survive when she actually went into labor?

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Spippy:** _Yesss! Winter is gonna be the best mom. I mean come on, she's the best big sister!_

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Yes! I'm so excited to write more of Marin and Autumn in the next thing I have planned, (if I ever get to it, God help me). They are adorable! And I, personally, would love to see them interact with their almost-dad! :) 3 Yup, I'm hoping to write more Ironwitch after I finish this first installment of my baby AU._

 **Nina Vale:** _Look, I would 100% support James adopting the Schnee kiddos. He's practically a dad to them already, my gosh. I really really love that headcanon. Can you imagine him being all protective of Winter when she starts dating Qrow, like "Branwen, I swear to God, if you touch my daughter..." Also, Yes. here's a sneak peak of Qrow and Winter's wedding celebration: James is 100000% definitely walking Winter down the aisle and giving her away, like her biological father never would. (Because he's an ass). Yeah, I don't think Qrow's anxiety is something that will ever heal completely. Anxiety like that is a tricky thing to heal completely. I'm glad I was able to capture it well!_

 **Celestia's Paladin:** _Yes, I can definitely see James being much more hesitant about Fatherhood then Qrow. Where Qrow never thought, in a million years, that he would be **lucky** enough to have kids (therefore he really embraces it), James never even had the thought cross his mind. He never thought he'd make a good father, never thought he'd really settle down. Military life is too chaotic, too dangerous... it was just something he never even thought about. So, I think, at first, he agrees to take in the kids because he feels super guilty, like the death of their parents was his fault. Just like when Beacon fell, he blames himself, and that really stays with him, and tortures him. _

**SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yes! James, of course (see previous reply), will be super hesitant to start with. Glynda is surprisingly good with little kids, adores them, treats them with the gentlest of care. She teaches James more and more each day, and he starts to really like the idea of being a father, especially since the kids **adore** him. Qrow is literally gonna be the most dad of dads. He's just gonna go into PROTECT mode. They both will, but Winter's going to be unbelievably, (and surprisingly) rational about the whole thing. Qrow's just gonna panic. "Should he be doing that?! Can he eat that now? Is he big enough to be doing that?" "Dear, you've read like 20 baby books, you **know** he's fine." _

**Dorngok Sekker:** _Yesss! I'm so excited to write more about Autumn and Marin, in fact, I might write a couple of pre-chapters (kind of like mini-prologues) to show how James and Glynda found them! That would be fun! :)_

 **Galven:** _True, true. Maybe all the characters could use a good dose of common sense. :P_

 **Wise Princess:** _I really feel you on that one... *sigh* I really, really dislike smut. Not because it's necessarily a **bad** thing, it's just **everywhere**. Which, when you're searching for some wholesome fluff, or plot... or ANYTHING ELSE, is really annoying. I'm certainly glad I got to write this one for everyone, because you are totally write. The Qrowin fanfictions definitely have an overabundance of smut fics. I'm so, so glad you like this story! :D I'm terribly sorry this chapter is so late, I'm back in school (for my last quarter woohoo!) and basically I just want it to be over so I'm **struggling**... but I'm working through it. :| Thanks so much for reading through this and leaving an awesome review! :D_

 **Kurogaya:** _Thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. :) I hope you liked this chapter as well!_

 **Thanks for all the great reviews!**

 **Like I said, I'll be posting another chapter immediately after this, so when I get to posting another one (after a few days) I'll reply to all the reviews (for this chapter and chapter 38) on _that_ chapter! **

**Ciao ciao!**

 **-annawrites**


	38. The Ocean and 'Braxton Hicks'

**Full disclosure: I am... not a doctor, or a midwife, aaannddd... I have never had a child. I have, however, done a fair amount of research for this (and another old fic where one character had a kid). It may not be completely accurate, because sometimes I'm a moron. But... uh... anyways...**

 **Sometimes I talk too much.**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

It had been several days since Glynda and the kids had arrived and the children were opening up more and more to the Branwen's and to the teens and Tai as well. Of course, upon hearing that the little ones hadn't been to the beach before, Ruby insisted that they must make a trip and so a picnic was packed and they were on their way to the beach by mid-morning. Winter had almost opted out of going, she was so exhausted, but she didn't want to disappoint Marin and Autumn, and she didn't want to worry Qrow.

 _They're just Braxton Hicks contractions._ She had read about them a million times in the dozens of books she had borrowed from the library about childbirth. Braxton Hicks contractions happened all the time, especially when a woman is getting closer to her due date. She was envious of the women who experienced painless Braxton Hicks though, because these ones hurt, but she wasn't about to complain. Whenever she mentioned the smallest pain, like her aching back or swollen ankles, Qrow's immediate response was to rush her to the hospital. He got this look in his eyes when she'd say something, some sort of wild determination, almost as if he was preparing to save her from some immediate danger. She hated that, hated to see him worried, hated to see the nurses roll their eyes _again_ —"Your wife is fine, Mr. Branwen." _They're just Braxton Hicks. If they were normal contractions they'd be getting worse. Besides, it's too early for him to come. I'll just breathe through them and I'll be fine._

Of course, that mentality didn't get her any sleep the night before, and it certainly wasn't helping at the beach. For a moment she almost thought that the contractions were a little closer together, but she pushed the thought away, gritting her teeth. It was too early. There was no way she could have this baby now. They weren't real. Just Braxton Hicks. The contraction passed at last, and she could have a moment of peace, watching Ruby and Jaune teach Marin and Autumn how to build a sand castle. Qrow came up behind her and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"How are my two most favorite people?" he murmured, rubbing a hand across her belly and kissing her cheek.

"Fine," she sighed, "Just a little tired." Qrow glanced at her, up and down, a tinge of worry in his eyes,

"Do you need to go back home?"

"No! No, I'm fine. I don't mean to worry you. Just… baby kept me up again last night, that's all."

Qrow chuckled, "Heh… our son's gonna be a strong one, huh? You're going to be born with your mom's reflexes, huh kid? Hey, you should try and take something tonight to help you sleep, okay? I don't need you keeling over from exhaustion. Do you want to scare me to death?" He rubbed her shoulder, and kissed her cheek again. "Winter? Are you alright?"

"Of course, it's going to be fine—" Another Braxton Hicks. This time it hit her hard. She felt pressure on her pelvis, her back ached like hell. She gritted her teeth. Qrow's expression of worry grew deeper. He sat up straight, taking her by the shoulders,

"What was that?"

"It's just a Braxton hicks," she breathed in deeply as the contraction passed. "You remember how we read about those? They're the 'false labor' ones." Her words didn't seem to offer him any sort of encouragement. He still looked doubtful. She really didn't need him rushing her to the hospital prematurely. Even if there was a _slim_ chance that this was real labor, she couldn't go to the hospital until the contractions were a certain length apart... But these weren't real contractions. No, she wasn't due for another two weeks. It was impossible. It was too early. She wasn't ready.

"Are you… absolutely positive?" Qrow asked. Winter sighed.

"Yes, I am. I'm perfectly fine now, see?" She smiled, holding up her arms. "Besides, we both know it's too early. I'm not due for another couple of weeks."

"Yes, but we also both know that babies come whenever they damn well please," Qrow whispered.

"No," Winter shook her head, "No, Qrow. It's _not_ the baby. It's _not._ I… I'm not ready." She didn't realize until now that she was clenching her fists, that her shoulders were tense. She didn't realize until now, as another contraction hit her, that she had never been so scared in all her life. Tears gathered, clinging to her eyelashes as she gritted her teeth and her fist gripped his shirt so tightly that she was sure her nails would rip through the fabric.

"Winter…"

"It's just a… _Braxton hicks!"_ she gasped, biting her lip. Somewhere deep inside, she knew she was lying to herself, but she couldn't admit it.

"No, baby… it's not," Qrow gently brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"N-no!" She hissed. The contraction slowly passed, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "See, it's over."

"Winter—"

"I'm _not ready_!" She shouted, drawing the attention of the rest of their family on the beach. Qrow was stunned into silence for a moment, and Winter blinked back tears, "Qrow… p-please… I'm scared…"

"Hey… that's alright, Ice Queen," he gently pulled her against him and she clung to him, letting her tears fall against his shoulder. "I'm scared too, but I know it's going to be alright. Winter Branwen, you are the strongest, toughest, most willful woman I know. I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can do _anything_. That includes bringing our son into this world. And I'm going to be there with you every step of the way, you understand?"

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Qrow," she said, still holding onto him tightly. Another contraction hit her, this one stronger than the others. She bit her lip hard, and grabbed Qrow's shoulder to steady herself, gripping it so tightly that she was scared she might actually break his bones. Then she felt a strange sensation and a rush a fluid, and she knew—beyond a shadow of a doubt—that this was the real thing.

"My…" she was still so scared she could hardly breathe. This couldn't be happening, "Qrow… my water just broke—"

"Alright!" Qrow gasped, spinning around quickly to face Tai, who was just approaching them with a worried look in his eyes. "I'm taking Winter to the hospital now." Before she could protest, again, Qrow scooped her up into his arms.

"Is it go time?" Tai asked, looking suddenly excited. "Send a message when he's here!" Winter couldn't explain her sudden desire to smack the smile off the man's face. She tasted blood in her mouth from biting her lip too hard, her back had never ached like this in all her life, and all she could think about was how much she wasn't ready. Qrow's arms held her close, helping her into his truck quickly.

"It's going to be alright, Ice Queen. It's going to be alright."


	39. Welcome, Little One

**I am pleased to announce that I have literally, only seconds ago, written the last sentence of this fanfiction semi-novel!**

 **Don't worry- this is NOT the last chapter. You have a few more to go. And this is NOT the last installment. **

**After I've completed this I have plans for a second one involving the Ironwood family, so stay tuned for that, because that is going to be fun.**

 **In the Meanwhile, keep reading this, and in between this and the beginning of that I'll be able to post a couple of the OTP weeks I participated in during spring break and the first couple of weeks of the Spring Quarter!**

 **Enjoy this chapter, and stay tuned for the next one!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

Qrow felt such an incredible range of emotions, that he couldn't really understand what he was doing. All he could think of was that his son was coming, that his wife was in pain, that she was crushing his hand, screaming, and that she'd been like this for several hours, or more, he'd completely lost track of how long they'd been in the hospital room. He couldn't remember how many times he'd said, "You're doing great, Ice Queen. Did you hear that? The baby's going to be here soon."

"Alright, Winter," the doctor looked up with a smile, "You're doing just fine. Baby's head is here. You're almost there."

"Did you hear that?" Qrow beamed, "You're doing great, Winter—"

"No… I can't do it…" she sobbed, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. "I can't do it anymore…"

"Hey, listen to me, of course you can—"

"Shut up!" She screamed, clutching his hand so tightly, Qrow was sure every single one of the bones there were about to break in half. There was a sudden shine of stubborn determination in her blue eyes. Qrow recognized that look. It was a look that told him Winter was willing to die fighting. She released his hand only to grip his shoulder even more tightly and let out another long wail, beating the side of the hospital bed with her free fist.

The next few moments were like a blur. Winter was gasping for breath, still clutching to his shoulder like it was her lifeline. The nurses were moving quickly around them, the doctor was beaming, Qrow felt dizzy. That's when he heard the sharp, strong wails of his son, and the doctor held up the baby for both of them to see. His color was more purple and red than anything else, with the tiniest bit of dark hair on the top of his head. His mouth was hanging open in a piercing cry, his eyes shut so tight his entire face was scrunched up, and his tiny hands and feet were flailing and kicking in the doctor's arms.

"Congratulations, you two," the doctor said above the child's cries, "You have a healthy son. All ten fingers and all ten toes." Qrow could feel a tear cling onto his eyelashes, and at his shoulder Winter's hand loosened its grip and she choked on a sob.

"I want to… can I…" she held out her arms, unable to finish her sentence.

"Let's snip this little man's umbilical cord and he'll be good to go." After the doctor managed to wrap the wailing baby loosely in a green blanket, he came around to the side of the bed and rested the tiny soul in Winter's outstretched arms. Pressed closely against his mother's breast, their son seemed to realize he was safe and warm and his cries quieted. Winter rocked him gently,

"Shh… Shh…" she whispered, tears still running slowly down her cheeks, "It's alright, dear, mommy and d-daddy are here…"

Qrow was still speechless. He couldn't find anything to say. Here their son was, he had imagined the moment so many times… He had thought of so many different ways to welcome their child into the world. None of them came to mind now. He could only stare at the tiny person that he and Winter had actually _made_.

"H-he's perfect!" Winter sobbed. Her hands were shaking as she brushed her free thumb across her son's chubby cheek. Qrow slowly wrapped one arm around her shoulder, and with the other he reached out to take his son's tiny hand into his own.

"You did it, Winter," He finally managed to breathe, looking up into his wife's shining eyes. "You did it. He's here." She laughed, still crying, and then leaned over and pressed her lips to his.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she sighed. Qrow grinned,

"Yeah, I think my hand and shoulder are both broken."

"Very funny, Mr. Branwen," Winter narrowed her eyes. Then both of their gazes were redirected, once more, to their son.

The tiny boy's eyes were blinking open and he stared back up at his parents with perhaps as much wonder as they looked down at him with.

"Do you want to hold him?" Winter looked up at Qrow with a small smile. For a few moments Qrow was terrified, but that washed away with the greater desire to finally properly welcome his first born into the world. He nodded, and Winter helped transfer the baby into his arms.

"Hey there, kid," Qrow beamed as he held their son close, "Welcome home."

* * *

In the next couple of hours Winter was able to get their son nursing, and soon enough both of them were fast asleep. Qrow was sitting up on the bed next to her, head resting on her shoulder. He still couldn't take his eyes off the baby they had made together. Winter stirred next to him, and he felt her breathing change. He knew she was awake when she shifted their son in her arms.

"Hey," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her jaw. "How are you feeling, Ice Queen?"

"Tired," she whispered, brushing her free hand against the tuft of black hair on the top of their baby's head. "We need to come up with a name for young Master Branwen," she murmured.

"Well, we have some names picked out, don't we?" Qrow frowned. He pulled out his scroll from his pocket, swiped the 24 messages from Tai away, and pulled up their little list of names. "What do you think he looks like?" He held up the list of names for Winter to see.

"Hmm…" She smiled, reading over the list. "Argent."

"Argent," Qrow looked down at his son again. "Yeahhh… Yeah, I like it. Ari for short."

"Argent Branwen," Winter beamed, her eyelids dropping a little. "It's perfect." It didn't take long for Winter to drift off to sleep, and Qrow managed to pull himself away from both of them to flip through all of Tai's messages and send him one of his own: "Arrived about a couple hours ago. Argent Branwen, 8lbs, 13oz. Winter says he has my nose."

It was only seconds later that he received a response.

"Qrowwww! Congratulations! When can we come meet him?"

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews: (For several minutes I was really confused because I forgot I posted chapters 37 + 38 together... :| )**

 **PS: Pro tip- Argent _is_ a color. (suggested by a friend of mine when asked what Qrow and Winter would name their kids if they ever had kids). It's a silver, or a silvery white.**

 **Spippy:** _TRUTH._ _#bestmoms2018_

 **Dorngok Sekker:** _THAT IS LITERALLY THE MOST PERFECT SONG. Yes! Glynda singing that to Marin... AHHH... dying from the cuteness!_ _Yeah... I've never experienced childbirth. (Though, I hope someday I'll be a mom!) but I do know that even tough, stoic women like Winter are going to be affected by it in ways like this, or similar to this. But look! She made it through!_

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Qrowin as canon is literally my ultimate dream. (please, oh god, at least have them interact in vol. 6). That RWBY Chibi episode (y'all know the one) gives me so much hope... :'O Oh you can count on it, Qrow would be nowhere but her side during all this. He'd rather **die** than leave her. I thought about adding jacques into these last few chapters but the idea just gave me a headache. Plus, I'm pretty sure that (as much as the man hates Qrow) Qrow terrifies him. _

**SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _I think you describe Qrow Branwen perfectly in that comment for chapter 37! Yes, he really is repulsed by the idea of hurting anyone, and I think it's directly caused by his association with and ideas about misfortune and bad luck. Yes! I've always imagined Glynda would make a good mother, strict in some ways, but good. She is, after all, a very good headmistress, and cares for her students very much. lol, if Winter wasn't basically being dragged away by Qrow she probably would have 100% slapped Tai, poor guy. He's just trying to be happy for them!_

 **Megan T of Sea Doves Sudeo:** _Thank you! I'm glad it all worked out and makes sense, at least! :)_

 **Nina Vale:** _Well, as Winter says: she's had Braxton Hicks contractions before, and Qrow notices a clear difference between them and this despite Winter's protestations. Of course, her water breaking was definitely a sign that things were progressing. Poor Qrow is internally screaming the whole while, probably. ;) You're right, and I never thought about it, but Qrow probably does have more experience with kids than Winter. Though, I do think that Winter was probably very close to her sister, and adored watching over her and protecting her as she grew._

 **Thank you all for the great reviews! And thanks for reading!**

 **-annawrites**


	40. We Made Him

**Check out the new short fic I've started posting! It's only got seven chapters but it'll be worth it, I promise. :D**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

The next morning Winter, Qrow, and little Argent received a couple unannounced visitors, brought in by the nurse. It was the first time in his entire life that Qrow saw James Ironwood dressed casually. His free arm was wrapped around Glynda's waist, and his other hand held a bouquet of flowers.

"General!" Winter gasped, she desperately tried to free up a hand for a salute, but James raised a hand with a shrug and a smile,

"Neither of us are on duty, Winter, it's fine." Winter huffed a little, but let it go. She hated it when she couldn't properly greet her superior officer, but Ari was occupying all her attention. He was falling asleep (once again), while nursing. His blue eyes were drifting closed, his tiny head resting in the nook of her elbow, and against her breast.

"We wanted to come congratulate you," Glynda beamed, holding up a little stuffed bear with a blue bow. "Taiyang passed on the news, of course. He's probably the happiest man in the world, besides you Qrow. He keeps talking about finally being able to be the cool uncle."

"Of course," Qrow rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's eagerness. He remembered when Tai and Raven first told him they were expecting a child. He had also been overjoyed about the prospect of being an uncle.

"How's the little one?" James asked, standing awkwardly at the end of Winter's hospital bed.

"Just fine," Winter smiled. Argent was fasted asleep now, and she wondered if she could free herself of him without waking him. Other attempts had ended in failure before, and she hated to see him cry. "He's…" she could feel tears coming on again, Qrow was next to her, his hand rest against her back, beaming like an idiot. She had never seen him so happy—not since she said yes when he proposed. "He's the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on."

Glynda's gaze softened, and she sighed, "Oh, Winter, we're both so happy for you." She came around to the side of the bed that Qrow wasn't occupying, and gently rested the teddy bear in Winter's lap, next to Argent.

"Thank you," Winter whispered, "He'll treasure it forever, I know."

"Thank you both," Qrow's voice broke the short silence, "I never thought I'd say this… but… uh… it's good to see you, James." The general blinked, and then Winter thought she caught a small smile in his gaze.

"Thanks, Qrow, that… actually means… something…"

"Hey," Qrow shrugged, "Anytime you want to… uh… grab a drink, or something…?" Winter looked over at her husband with a glare,

"What in the world are you planning, Qrow?"

"Hey! Nothing. I can be a decent person," Qrow gasped, "I'm offended you think otherwise, darling."

James looked Winter's husband up and down, and then laughed, "You know, Qrow, you surprise me. I think I'd like that."

"See?" Qrow gestured at the general with a huff, "It was an appreciated gesture."

"You're something else, Branwen," Winter smiled, pressing a kiss to the man's jaw.

"So, I've been told." Qrow sighed.

"Well," James said, "Let's see the little man." Winter beamed, and gently managed to lift Argent up into a position that James and Glynda could see him better without stirring him too much.

"There we are," she cooed, kissing her son's forehead.

"Meet Argent Branwen," Qrow said, holding out his hands like their son was his masterpiece.

"He's darling," Glynda beamed, "Congratulations, you two."

"He's amazing," James nodded, and then echoed his partner's sentiments, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Winter said. Ari was beginning to stir, but she held him out further towards Glynda, "Would you like to hold him?" The blonde had just taken the tiny bundle into her arms when there was another soft knock and the door opened a crack to reveal Tai.

"Winter? Qrow?" His eyes locked with his brother's. Qrow immediately stood, as Tai slipped into the room. The first thing the tall blond did was hug Winter's husband. Qrow clasped Tai's shoulder, still grinning like an idiot.

"Congratulations, Qrow!" Tai said, patting his brother on the back. "I can hardly believe it."

"I can hardly believe it, as well," Qrow said.

"Where's the little guy?" Before Qrow or Winter could answer, Tai spotted the bundle in Glynda's arms, and almost skipped over to the former headmistress. "There he is!" He breathed, looking over Glynda's shoulder.

"Uncle Tai, meet Argent," Winter whispered. "Ari, that's your Uncle Tai." Winter could almost see the tears in Tai's eyes as he looked down at his nephew.

"He's so perfect, Qrow! You both made this!" He gestured to the baby as if he'd never really thought about the concept of reproduction before, his hands shaking.

"Daddd?!" A voice called from the other side of the door. "Can we come in now?"

"Is that Ruby?" Qrow pulled the door open and the pile of teenagers outside almost fell on top of him.

"Woah! Uncle Qrow!" Yang gasped, "We were just waiting for… uh…"

"It's fine," Qrow chuckled, "Come on in, you all. Just remember to try and be quiet." The teens, followed by Autumn and Marin, quietly slipped into the room. Winter could almost see Ruby vibrating, she was so excited. Her silver eyes were filled with utter joy, and she let out a little squeak before throwing her arms around her uncle in an unbelievably tight hug.

"Uncle Qrow, I can't believe you're a dad now! I have a little cousin!"

"Alright, alright!" Qrow laughed, and ruffled Ruby's hair, "Do you all want to meet him?"

"Yes!" Nora said in as quiet a voice as she could muster. Qrow beckoned the children over to where Glynda had gently transferred the little bundle into Tai's arms. The children gathered around the blond, eyes wide, and Tai carefully sat down on a chair so they could gather around and all catch a glimpse of the new addition to their family. In a few moments Winter's view of Tai and Argent was completely obscured by the teens. Qrow returned to his wife's side, leaning against her bed, and gently taking her hand in his.

"We made him," he breathed.

"Can you believe it?" Winter smiled, leaning against his chest, pressing her forehead into the crook between his shoulder and neck. She could hear his heartbeat: steady, strong. His breath was on her hair, a strong hand grasped her shoulder. "Do you remember when we first kissed?" Qrow laughed. Winter soaked in his happiness, it was like sunshine.

"Yeah," he murmured, "I do."

"What do you think you would have done if I had told you we would have this?"

"I wouldn't have believed it for a second," he said, "It seems like a dream."

Yes, that's what it was. Words couldn't really describe it. They were a family: a father, a mother, a son.

"Hey," Qrow said, and Winter pulled away so she could look him in the eye. "Weren't we supposed to have a big wedding after all this?"

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama** : _How could anyone forget that episode? It's the golden episode of RWBY Chibi. Yeah, seriously! Ozpin ships them-that means it has to be canon, right? And Argent? A badass? You all have no idea. He's going to be amazinnggglyyy awesome!_

 **FeugoFox42:** _Where do you think Ruby gets it? ;) So glad you liked the chapter!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Aww yes! Qrow and Winter 100000% finally deserve happiness. :)_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Yes! I looove Ari! I can imagine him with his mom and dad now, growing up and just being freaking adorabbbleee! :D Augh... all the Branwen kids are gonna be so cute. ;) ;) ;)_

 **The Prime Writer:** _Awww! Yes! I'm so glad you've started review now, even if you think it's late. And I'm super glad you like the story! I totalllyyy hadn't thought of godparents when I wrote this chapter, but I'm going to say Winter would **firmly** vote for James and Glynda. Qrow probably would protest just for the sake of protesting, because you know... he and James have that ridiculous "sibling-rivalry" going on, but of course, on the inside he knows that it's a good fit. Maybe once the teens are older there will be a couple of godparents chosen from their ranks for the younger Branwen children. :) Huanani is a beauuuutiful name! I adore that! Unfortunately... now that Argent has be born (I literally rolled the dice on that one, I myself had no idea if their first kid would be a boy or a girl), I've already decided the names and genders of the next kids. :O But trust me, you guys are going to love them. I think Jacques knows to stay away for now. However, once Argent is old enough to make his decisions, but still young enough to be impressionable... hmmm... _

_I also can't wait for volume 5! Ah! But, if age is the only reason you've given up hope... I have some good mathematical news for you, my friend. I'm going to do this in a list_ because _it's long and wacky._

 _1\. Raven and Qrow are twins._

 _2\. The spring maiden disappeared around 10 years ago._

 _3\. The cut off age for all maidens is around 30, yeah, so when Raven received the Spring Maiden's powers the oldest she could possibly have been is 30 years old._

 _4\. It would have taken Raven some time to get the Spring maiden to trust her before the spring maiden died. So the spring maiden couldn't have died exactly ten years ago, right? I would argue that Raven let her live for **at least** a year. _

_5\. Therefore, knowing that ten years have passed since the original spring maiden disappeared, we know that Raven couldn't possibly be over 37-39 years old (due to the cut off for new maidens being at 30)._

 _6\. Because Qrow and Raven are twins, that would, of course, put him at 37-38 as well._

 _REGARDLESS: I will always ship Qrowin. It doesn't matter if this all proves to me mathematically incorrect, because... well, truth is that I suck at math. There's a reason I'm majoring in Writing. Secondly, I really don't care, because i love them. I'm glad you do too. :)_

 _Also, I love what you said about Weiss's mom and Qrow or Tai. omg, that made me laugh. We haven't really met Weiss' mum yet, I wonder what she's like. That would be a pretty freaking hilarious scenario._

 _Thank you for the amazing and long review, friend!_

 **Spippy:** _You are literally too kind! I can't wait to write the Ironwitch story! It's going to be weird, starting it semi-in the middle of everything (with Marin and Autumn!) But I'm excited to see James and Glynda working together, and of course to see little updates on Argent and the rest of the Branwen family! :)_

 **SpanishBulldog63:** _Woah! That's so crazy. That didn't even occur to me, but you're right. Birrrdddsss in the whole family! :D_

 **Thanks, all, for the brilliant reviews! You're all the best! And I'm so glad you've stuck with this story to the end (or near the end, as that's where we currently are).**

 **See you when I post the next chapter.**

 **-annawrites**


	41. An Eternity

"There," Weiss' voice was soft over the sound of chattering from just the other side of the room. Winter looked up into the mirror, and her blue eyes met her sister's there. Weiss was in a pale blue dress, her hair had been done up in curls. She was standing tall over where her sister sat. It was funny how a satin dress could make Winter realize how much her sister had grown up. "You look beautiful." Winter blinked, glancing back at herself in the mirror. Weiss had finished clipping her veil to her long, fair hair. Lace clung to her shoulders, dancing across her chest in the shape of a V. Her wedding dress surrounded her the way snow fell in Atlas. She felt like she was finally deserving of Qrow's nickname for her. Her other bridesmaids gathered around with oohs and ahs. It was only a moment before Nora's arms were tightly wrapped around her.

"You're! So! Beautiful! Ahhh! Just wait until he sees you!" She squealed. Ruby and Yang offered their Aunt tight hugs as well.

"Thank you," Winter whispered, trying to control the tears that were tugging at her eyelashes, "You all look so lovely as well." Ruby glanced down at her red satin dress.

"I have to say," she said, "I _am_ glad you both chose on two colors instead of just the light blue. I don't think it's a very good color on me."

"The red and blue do go together well," Yang shrugged, straightening her own red gown.

"Kind of like you and Qrow," Weiss offered her sister a small smile, and Winter pulled her tightly into her embrace.

"Thank you, Weiss, for everything. You've been the best Maid of Honor a sister could ask for."

"I know that you'll do the same for me," Weiss grinned. "When it's my turn." There was a soft rap on the door of the private room, and Glynda slipped in a half a second later.

"Winter, dear?" Her stoic expression vanished when she saw all the girls. "You all look so beautiful!" She beamed. "Are you ready?" Winter looked over at her bridesmaids and then nodded.

"Yes, I think I am." Weiss led the way, following Glynda, out of the room and onto a small garden pathway. There, James was waiting with Autumn, Marin, and Ari. The two older children were urging Argent to chase a butterfly, and the toddler was happy to do so, reaching out chubby hands towards the sky and giggling.

"Winter," James said, with a gentle smile. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she whispered. When Ari heard his mother's voice, he paused in his chase and turned to dash towards her, kicking up gravel as he ran clumsily.

"Mama!" He squealed as she knelt down and pulled him into her embrace.

"Hi there, sweet pea," she said, covering his cheeks in kisses. He laughed, clinging to her veil, and pressing a chubby hand to her cheek. "Look at you, so handsome today!" Winter said, adjusting his red bowtie with her free hand. Ari threw his arms around his mother's neck, clinging to her tightly. "You have to do something for daddy and I today, okay?" Winter said, holding him close, "Remember? You're going to walk with Marin and Auntie Glynda."

"Yeah," he mumbled, and then glanced over towards where Marin stood next to his mother. When they were finally able to convince Argent that it was all going to be alright, and he was standing with Glynda, holding onto the hem of her dress, James held out his arm and Winter took it gently, clinging to her bouquet of red roses and white daisies.

Weiss quickly adjusted her sister's veil, and somewhere beyond the trees the string quartet began with a quiet thrum. The girls led the way down the gravel path, beyond alder trees, and when they reached a bend in the road, the boys were there waiting for them. Tai stepped forward first, and took Weiss' arm. Winter watched as Qrow's Best Man and her Maid of Honor disappeared around the corner. Jaune took Yang's arm gently, and Winter had to laugh at Yang's expression when she saw that Jaune _must_ have grown another few inches because Yang was wearing heels and he must have been at least a head-taller than she was. They too disappeared around the corner. Oscar offered Ruby his arm, and she took it, finding that he had grown as well, standing an inch or two taller than she did. After a nod and a smile they stepped beyond the corner. Finally, Ren took Nora's arm, and Winter watched as the girl leaned into his shoulder and they followed their friends down the aisle.

There was a crescendo in the string quartet, and Glynda ushered the three children to their places. Autumn with her basket of petals, and Marin and Argent with their box of rings. Glynda looked back once, with a bright smile, and they disappeared beyond the alders.

"Are you ready, Ms. Schnee?" The general said. Winter let out a nervous laugh, leaned against his shoulder for a moment, and then nodded. She held her breath as they came around the corner to face the aisle. There were only a few chairs, but Winter only had eyes for the end of the aisle. By a willow tree decorated in string lights was Qrow Branwen, hair slicked back, a red tie under a black suit. The moment his eyes met hers his lips broke into a wide grin. Winter squeezed the General's arm, and he glanced over at her with a warm smile. In the next few moments she was at Qrow's side, and Ironwood took her hand and gently rested it in Qrow's. The two men made eye contact for a brief moment before James nodded briefly and then stepped aside, allowing Winter to clasp Qrow's other hand. He beamed down at her, his scarlet eyes filled with some indescribable emotion.

"Winter Schnee," he whispered, "Did you ever imagine you'd sign up for forever?" Winter laughed, grasping his hands tightly,

"Not even in my dreams, Branwen, not until I realized you made me smile."

"You've always made me smile," he murmured, before the ceremony began and the final step to their life together commenced.

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews:**

 **Akira-Hayama:** _I would literally die for this to be canonnnnn! Awwwgggg Qrowin is so perfect, I can't even handle it._

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _Thank you thank you! I'm so glad I've managed to capture all that in the characters. Sometimes it feels like it's all so tricky... I'm glad it works out!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Augh! I'm so so glad you've stuck to the end with this, all you! Yes! It's definitely Tai's turn to be the awesome uncle. Don't get me wrong, Qrow may be the cool uncle to Ruby and Yang, but he will shield and protect his kiddos with his entire life force. He's not going to be quite the cool dad with his kids, but I think he's certainly going to be a little bit more relaxed than Winter will be._

 **Thanks, all, for the amazing reviews! See you next time for the final installment of this little story. :)**

 **-annawrites**


	42. Epilogue

**Hello all! Welcome to final chapter of "Tragedy to Blessing."**

 **I'm so sorry that this took so long to be uploaded. I had it all written out for the longest time, but unfortunately, once again, I've been having computer troubles. But here we are at last!**

 **I hope you enjoy this final chapter, and once we move on to James and Glynda I hope you enjoy that as well!**

 **Check out my tumblr page for some more fanfiction (and requests are always open) at: i-write-fanfiction-to-procrastinate**

 **Thanks all, for reading all the way through this lovely fanfiction "novel."**

 **See you for the next one!**

 **-annawrites**

* * *

EPILOGUE:

"We have to send postcards to everyone, of course." Winter said, firmly, "It's only practical."

"Right," Qrow grinned as his wife pulled him into the little souvenir shop on the corner. "That's what most people think about on their honeymoons, the practicality of snail mail." Winter glared at him before perusing the small cards. Qrow moved on to the next shelf where there were little shot glasses.

"Hey, lets get a few of these."

"You can't give shot glasses to the teenagers," Winter sighed.

"Wait, we're buying them gifts too?" Qrow choked, "Uh… last I checked this was _our_ honeymoon, not theirs."

"Come on, help me pick out post cards. We have to choose a nice one for Argent."

"Ari can't even read, honey," Qrow sighed, flipping through a stack of cards that all had pictures of the beach they were staying on.

"So? Uncle Tai can read it for him!" Winter responded, selecting a few postcards and putting them aside.

"Hey," Qrow grinned, pulling out a card with the sunset over the ocean. Across the top, in bright pink letters were the words: _Wish you were here._ "We should send this one to your dad." He could hardly contain his laughter as his wife narrowed her eyes.

"He hates you."

"I know, it would be hilarious."

"You're insufferable."

"I know," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer, "Isn't that why you married me?"

"Hmm…" Winter mused, "I thought it was more to do with something like financial stability."

"Ouch," Qrow gasped, "That one hit me right in the soul."

"I love you, Branwen," She breathed, a proud smile on her lips. He pulled her in closer for a kiss,

"I love you too, Ice Queen." He was lucky as hell to have her, he couldn't even imagine how it happened it seemed so much like a dream. "You remember when we first met?"

"I remember wishing you'd shut up," Winter said, grabbing her stack of postcards. Qrow slipped the sunset one into her hands and she gave him a withering glare, but didn't protest. "I was fresh out of academy, ready to follow Ironwood to the ends of the earth, and you were a nuisance."

"You know what I remember?" Qrow said.

"Do I _want_ to know?" Winter groaned.

"I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you," he whispered.

"People are staring," Winter warned.

"Let them stare. It's our honeymoon."

"We have to buy these," she held up the cards before he could kiss her again and he sighed.

"Now?"

"The sooner we buy these the sooner we can finish this conversation in our _suite._ " Before he could respond she spun around and made her way towards the counter. Qrow was sure his knees were about to give out and his heart was beating a thousand ticks a second. _After all this time, she can still make me feel like a schoolkid._ For a moment he wondered why, and then he came up with his own answer—the answer that was staring him straight in the face. It was all blaringly obvious. _Of course, she can._

Without Winter Schnee, Qrow had lived a miserable, broken existence. It was like his soul was spread out in pieces on the road of self-destruction and misfortune, and Winter Schnee came through and carefully gathered each piece and taped them together with her own to form a whole. She was his second half. She was his life force. She was the blessing to his tragedy. He had no way of putting it into verbal conversation, no way of describing it. It was impossible, but perfectly real, and Qrow could hardly believe how lucky he was to have Winter Schnee as his miracle.

Just as they were stepping out of the store, into what had once been partly cloudy skies, it began to pour. They stopped under the covered porch of the little store, and Winter looked up at the sky with exasperation.

"Oh no," she sighed.

A gentleman to their right, who was sucking on a cigarette, shrugged his shoulders, "Now that's just bad luck," he murmured around the glow of his addiction.

Qrow glanced up at the sky with a chuckle, "Bad luck? There's no such thing."

* * *

 **REPLIES TO REVIEWS:**

 **FeugoFox42:** _I'm so glad you've enjoyed it all the way through! It's always so nice to see comments from everyone!_

 **Nina Vale:** _Yes! I love weddings too. I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding this last fall and it was just so lovely! Ari's not too much older in this chapter, probably pretty close to his first birthday!_

 **SemblanceOfInvisibility:** _I'm so glad! I hope you liked this chapter as well!_

 **Akira-Hayama:** _Aww! I'm so glad! (I could write thousands of stories about Qrow and Winter, I really could, because I love them so much!) Thanks for reading!_

 **The Prime Writer:** _Ahhh! Yes, I miss Blake for sure. And I never really focused on Zwei, but he's the best! I'll tell you a secret. If I get my way (because work and school augh) I would love to write stories encompassing this little world I've created for myself and that would include one for Blake! I have plans... lets see if they ever get accomplished... Argent is actually not quite a year in the wedding chapter, though just on the cusp of being a toddler. ;) Awww! I'm so glad you liked the wedding._

 _About Qrow's age- lol-it's impossible for him to be **older** than 38, because Raven is the Spring Maiden (and she couldn't have been older than thirty when she become the Spring Maiden). But yeah, I don't know if Qrowin will ever happen on the show. I have high hopes. I'm praying they don't get dashed. lol. As for Weiss and Winter's mom, I don't really know anything about her, but that would be an interesting dynamic. (Though I don't know if I could ever bring myself to ship anyone with Qrow besides Winter. D: ) And Jaune...? For me it's terribly hard to ship Jaune with anyone, especially after Pyrrha's death. I love Jaune so much, and I want him to be happy, and I haven't quite figured out if there's anyone in the cast yet who could do that for him. Pyrrha was perfect, and when she died that just basically shattered my soul. However, I'll admit that I'm drawn to the idea of White Knight (WeissxJaune). ESPECIALLY under the idea that perhaps Weiss developes feelings for Jaune first (after season 5) and Jaune rejects her at first because she "had her chance." I would kill to read a fic like that... but like I said... my plan is also to write more based in this little world and who knows. Maybe some White Knight is in the future. ;;;;))))_

 _I'm so glad you're looking forward to reading the James and Glynda fic! I can't wait to really get to work on it! Thanks for reading!_

 **Guest:** _Thanks! I'm glad you liked the idea of Qrow's semblance. I've had the idea for some time that Qrow really has more control over it than he thinks he does... I dunno... we don't know very much about it._

Thanks, all, so much for joining me on this venture! I'm so glad you've enjoyed this fic, I've certainly enjoyed writing it! I'll see you next time for James and Glynda's story!

Bless!

-K. Anna


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